Raptors-Heat Preview

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
Posted Feb 04 2012 4:31PM

A brief homestand for the Miami Heat features visits from the former teams of Chris Bosh and LeBron James.

Bosh is the first to get a look at his old club Sunday when the Heat look to defeat the Toronto Raptors for the sixth straight time.

Neither Bosh nor James has dropped a home game against his former team, and James will get another crack at Cleveland on Tuesday in the finale of this two-game stretch at home. Bosh, meanwhile, saw action twice in Miami's four-game sweep of Toronto (8-16) last season, totaling 37 points and 12 rebounds.

The Raptors' No. 4 overall pick in 2003 has been quiet lately, averaging 11.0 points and 5.7 boards in the last three games. His limited production didn't matter Friday as the Heat won 99-79 at Philadelphia to move ahead of the 76ers in the Eastern Conference standings.

Miami (17-6) shot 51.9 percent and made 8 of 13 3-pointers in bouncing back from Wednesday's 105-97 loss at Milwaukee that ended a five-game win streak. Dwyane Wade led six Heat players in double figures with 26 points.

"Tonight was probably the best game from start to finish, as far as playing hard and communicating on both ends, that we had all season," said James, who had 19 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. "So it was a good win."

James credited coach Erik Spoelstra's tough practice Thursday in which the Heat broke down all aspects of the team via film and some honest communication.

"It was no-holds barred, no tongues being held," James said. "If we're going to be held to a championship standard, we need to go out and play like it. No one can take things personal if someone says something to him. We've got to take constructive criticism."

The Heat have won four straight at home, where they are averaging 105.3 points for one of the NBA's best marks. Toronto has dropped four in a row at Miami and fell by an average of 13.0 points in the four meetings last season.

At least the Raptors had Andrea Bargnani to average 29.3 points in three meetings with the Heat last season. Bargnani has replaced Bosh as the face of the franchise, but the 7-foot Italian is out with a calf injury.

Toronto dropped consecutive games to Atlanta and Boston by averaging 70.5 points on 35.6 percent shooting before taking advantage of another woeful team in Friday's 106-89 win over Washington. Leandro Barbosa, who missed Friday's shootaround with flulike symptoms, had a team-high 19 points.

"Just the overall focus I thought was good," coach Dwane Casey said. "They came out like a team that was embarrassed by what happened against Atlanta and Boston."

Amir Johnson had 18 points and 13 boards while Jose Calderon handed out a season-high 17 assists - one off the most by an NBA player this season.

"Somebody has to stay positive and keep a smile on their face, just to stay positive and keep playing," Johnson said. "We have a lot of season left."

Barbosa's 40.2 field-goal percentage versus the Heat, including 7 for 25 the last three times he faced them, is his lowest against an Eastern Conference opponent.

Wade has averaged 32.1 points in his last eight matchups with Toronto.

James, Heat hold back Raptors, 95-89

By TIM REYNOLDS
Posted Feb 05 2012 6:20PM

MIAMI (AP) LeBron James took a hard foul and clearly was not happy. So the next time he saw the ball, he made sure no Toronto player could reach him.

James' steal and dunk with just more than two minutes left gave Miami some breathing room, and the Heat held on to defeat the Toronto Raptors 95-89 on Sunday. James finished with 30 points and Dwyane Wade added 25 for the Heat (18-6), who won for the 10th time in its last 12 games and moved within one game of Chicago (20-6) for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

"We stuck with our principles," James said. "And that's to defend."

Chris Bosh scored 12 points against his former team, which saw a 15-point edge trimmed to three in the final minutes but never surrendered the lead. Mario Chalmers added 11 for Miami.

DeMar DeRozan scored 25 for the Raptors, who got 17 apiece from Jerryd Bayless and Linas Kleiza.

"I liked our disposition," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "I liked the way we approached it. I liked the way we competed."

Kleiza's 3-pointer with just under five minutes left got Toronto within eight, and another 3 from Bayless as the shot clock expired on the next Raptors' possession cut the Miami lead to 85-80 - the closest the game had been since early in the third quarter.

Bayless scored again to get the Raptors within three and cap a 12-0 Toronto run. And after Bosh missed a fadeaway from the right baseline, Bayless tried a 3-pointer to tie. It bounced off, and with the game in the balance, James went to work.

He was fouled by James Johnson and made two free throws with 2:20 left, not before letting anyone around him know he wasn't pleased with the physicality of the play. The next time James touched the ball, he didn't give the Raptors a chance to foul him - his steal and two-handed slam with 2:07 left gave Miami an 89-82 edge and all but ensured the win.

"Good back-to-back plays for our team and I was happy I was able to make them," James said.

James - who leads the NBA in first-quarter scoring this season (9.1 points a game) - got off to another big start, making his first five shots and scoring 12 points in the opening quarter. He's now shooting just under 60 percent in first quarters this season.

While scoring wasn't an issue, the Heat were far from in the clear.

Casey told the Raptors that establishing pace and limiting turnovers - especially early - would be big keys. Seemed like his team got the message: The Raptors matched a season-high with 27 points in the first quarter, and turned the ball over only five times in the first half. That, combined with DeRozan tying his season best with 16 points in the opening two quarters, kept the Raptors close.

"It just shows that we can compete with anybody," DeRozan said.

Miami's lead was only 53-48 at the break, and that was even after James and Wade combined to score 22 points in the opening quarter on 8 for 9 shooting.

"We knew it was going to be one of those grind-out kind of games," Wade said. "We understand that a lot of teams do that when they play the Heat - come out on fire."

In the third quarter, the Heat finally took control - not surprisingly, when the defense picked up a notch.

Toronto missed all but one of its shots over a seven-minute stretch of the third, a span where Miami started with a 55-54 lead and increased it 73-57. Chalmers hit back-to-back 3-pointers late in the 18-3 run, James made a fadeaway with 3:27 to play in the period to close the flurry.

"Our energy was good," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Even throughout the game, I didn't have a problem with the energy. ... It was more of a real concentration and a discipline toward the end of the (shot) clock. And that's something we'll have to continue to get better at."

And, just as Casey feared, turnovers proved decisive. Toronto committed eight in the third, which Miami turned into nine points. Miami gave the ball away only twice in the third, and the Raptors didn't score on either.

"Next time we've got to come out and make the plays and close," Bayless said.

Notes: It was the second straight year Miami played at home on Super Bowl Sunday. The Heat beat the Clippers last year in a game that started at noon and with James half-seriously asking officials to speed things along. ... Miami has beaten the Raptors six straight times. ... It was Raptors C Jamaal Magloire's first time visiting Miami as an opponent since March 2008. The Toronto native had spent the past three seasons with the Heat and remains close to several former teammates. "He was about as pure as anybody we have ever had as a role player," Spoelstra said.

Notebook: Heat 95, Raptors 89

By Shandel Richardson, for NBA.com
Posted Sunday February 5, 2012 6:13PM

THE FACTS: The Miami Heat shook off a slow start and defeated the Toronto Raptors 95-89 Sunday at AmericanAirlines Arena. Forward LeBron James led all scorers with 30 points and guard Dwyane Wade added 25.

The Heat led by 16 in the second half before the Raptors went on a 12-0 run, pulling to within three with 3:23 left in the game. After Toronto guard Jerryd Bayless missed a 3-pointer that would have tied it, James scored the game's next four points on two free throws and a breakaway dunk to seal it.

The Heat also benefited from solid free-throw shooting, hitting 29 of 34 from the line. The Raptors attempted just 21 free throws.

Toronto was led by DeMar DeRozan's 25 points.

QUOTABLE: "We came into this game knowing we wouldn't be able to take any shortcuts and it would be a work game. We would have to work the game for 48 minutes. We knew we would face a lot of zone ... We will take this win and move on."
-- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra

THE STAT: The Heat made 29 of 34 free throws. Toronto shot just 21 free throws.

TURNING POINT: With the Heat holding an 85-82 lead, James made two free throws. On the next possession, he made a steal and finished with a breakaway dunk to close things out.

QUOTABLE II: "For whatever reason they shot 34 free throws, we shot 21. I told our guys to keep driving in the first quarter. We are getting there. I think everyone is seeing that we are playing hard, competing on every play and aggressive going to the basket. We will get it ... and will get some of those calls."
-- Raptors coach Dwane Casey

HOT: James was 10-for-17 from the field and also had nine rebounds. He was 10-for-12 from the free throw line.

NOT: Heat forward Chris Bosh was a non-factor, shooting 3-for-13 from the field. Shane Battier also continued to struggle, missing all four of his field goals.

GOOD MOVE: The Heat upped their defense in the deciding third quarter. After allowing several open looks in the first half, Miami put the clamps down. Credit James and Wade for their perimeter defense.

BAD MOVE: The Raptors may have left the zone defense too early. It's given the Heat problems all season. Maybe Casey should have stuck with it longer.

NOTABLE: At 18-6, the Heat have tied the franchise record for best start through 24 games, tying the 1998-99 team. The Heat are now 11-2 at home. James has 13 games with at least 30 points.

UP NEXT: For the Heat, Tuesday vs. Cleveland, Wednesday @ Orlando, Friday @ Washington. For the Raptors, Monday @ Washington, Wednesday vs. Milwaukee, Friday vs. Boston.

• Raptors: Alabi, Bargnani
• Heat: Gladness, Harris

• Raptors: --
• Heat: --

• Lead Changes: 6
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
• Officials: #43 Dan Crawford, #70 Brent Barnaky, #75 Eric Dalen
• Attendance: 19802
• Duration: 2:22