The Miami HEAT fell to the Toronto Raptors 116-89 Sunday afternoon at Air Canada Centre in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Six players scored in double-figures for the HEAT. With the win, Toronto takes the series 4-3.
1. Winslow Never Quits
Once again, Justise Winslow got the start at center and fared well in the early going. In the first quarter, the rookie had some nice rolls to the hoop where he either finished the play or drew the foul. On the flip side of the ball, he showed his versatility by defending multiple guys as usual. He started off on Bismack Biyombo and Kyle Lowry before he guarded DeMar DeRozan in the third quarter.
It was in that period where Winslow truly shined. With the Raptors going on a big run, the former Blue Devil responded to adversity supremely well and hit the deck for loose balls quite often. He also drew his second charge of the contest during the flurry. Those little plays went a long way in Miami chipping away at the deficit. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t enough.
The 20-year-old finished the game with 14 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
2. Tireless Deng
While his numbers won’t jump off the page, Luol Deng gave it all he had in Game 7. When Winslow wasn’t on DeRozan, Deng was tabbed with the tall task of defending the talented swingman. While DeRozan scored 28 points, he did so on 12-of-29 shooting. Both Deng and Winslow forced the 26-year-old into some tough mid-range jumpers. Sometimes you just have to live with the result if you’re contesting well.
On the offensive end, Deng attacked the basket and got to the line often. In all, the 31-year-old had 12 points and three blocks on 4-of-9 shooting.
3. Joe Johnson Catches Fire in the Second
After a quiet start, Joe Johnson went to work in the second quarter to help the HEAT stay neck-and-neck with Toronto in the first half. In fact, Johnson scored eight straight points for Miami in the period thanks to some outside shots and tough finishes in the paint. The vet nailed some jumpers in the third as well, but didn’t shoot as much after that point.
The 34-year-old ended up with 13 points, three rebounds and two assists on 6-of-9 shooting on Sunday.
Other Takeaways:
-Goran Dragic had a nice start to the contest and did some damage early on in transition. One of his nicest finishes came near the end of the first quarter.
With 30.9 seconds left in the first, Tyler Johnson swiped the ball from Terrence Ross after fighting through a back-screen. From there, he threw it up ahead to Dragic, who absorbed contact from Jason Thompson and finished the play.
The Dragon also shared the rock and led the team with seven assists in addition to his 16 points and six boards against the Raptors.
-All things considered, Miami had a successful year. Being able to persevere through a multitude of injuries and push a talented Raptors squad to seven games is impressive.
All season long, the HEAT never let anything overwhelm them. Instead, they continued to work and remained focused on the task at hand.
That’s how the 2015-16 Miami HEAT should be remembered.