Raptors vs. Heat: Game 3 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2016 NBA Playoffs
In a series between two evenly matched teams, the margin for error is nonexistent. Every missed layup, skipped defensive rotation, ugly attempt early in the shot clock—it's all magnified exponentially. Sometimes, all it takes is one big play to fundamentally alter the trajectory of a series.
Kyle Lowry was full of them Saturday.
The Toronto Raptors guard scored 29 second-half points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, to lead the charge in a 95-91 victory over the Miami Heat at AmericanAirlines Arena in Game 3. Toronto leads the best-of-seven semifinals matchup 2-1 and has recaptured home-court advantage.
For most of the homestretch, Lowry and Dwyane Wade went blow-for-blow like a pair of heavyweight hitters. The All-Stars were responsible for five of the game's final six field goals, with Lowry's Raptors fending off a comeback effort from Wade's Heat.
Wade's decision to pass on the biggest possession of the series will haunt him. Driving to the hole down three points, Wade saw the entire Raptors defense collapse around him and kicked it out to a wide-open Joe Johnson. The seven-time All-Star clanged an ugly attempt off the right rim to all but seal the win for Toronto.
Johnson's penchant for early playoff exits has led to some interesting (tongue-in-cheek) theories:
Johnson is 0-of-10 from deep in a series that has increasingly become Wade vs. The North. Wade set a season high in points, knocking down 13 of his 25 shots in a 38-point outing. After hitting seven threes all regular season, Wade's knocked down six in this series and eight in the postseason overall.
He also has a meme-level misspelling of his name thanks to former Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush, as SB Nation's Tom Ziller reminded us:
"Dawane Wade
— Tom Ziller (@teamziller) May 7, 2016"
Lowry, who had been lambasted for his own playoff shortcomings, had a team-high 33 points for the Raptors. He'd entered the day 2-of-14 from three in the series and hadn't shot at least 40 percent overall in a single postseason game. The Villanova product responded by knocking down five threes and acting as the offensive fulcrum of a stagnant half-court offense down the stretch.
His greatness inspired even more sports-related political references, this via Rich Eisen:
Beyond Lowry and Wade, it was a night of dreary disappointment for both sides. DeMar DeRozan had 19 points, six rebounds and five assists, but he was a mid-range mason the entire night. DeRozan was 6-of-17 from the floor, with a vast majority coming from the NBA's dead zone. For all the flak Lowry has taken, DeRozan has topped 40 percent shooting just twice this postseason.
Elsewhere, DeMarre Carroll shot 2-of-9 from the floor, and the Raptors got 12 total points from their bench.
As surprising as it may be, Miami's second-best player Saturday was probably Udonis Haslem. The veteran came off the bench and finished with eight points and seven rebounds while also playing hard-nosed defense in the half court.
Goran Dragic had as many turnovers as field goals (five) in a 12-point night, and he dished out a personal playoffs-low one assist. Head coach Erik Spoelstra did not have him on the floor for the late possession where Johnson missed his game-tying three.
Johnson was third on the team with 10 points, shooting 4-of-11 from the field overall.
Even the expected contributors who played well had something go wrong.
Centers Jonas Valanciunas and Hassan Whiteside each left with injuries and did not return. Whiteside was limited to eight minutes after injuring his right knee in the second quarter. He finished with six points. An MRI is scheduled for Sunday. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel offered his thoughts:
A right ankle sprain led Valanciunas to the bench in the third quarter, ending his afternoon with 16 points and 12 rebounds. An X-ray was negative, but his status for Game 4 has not been determined.
Whiteside's MRI results may wind up deciding the series. Valanciunas was borderline unstoppable before his ankle injury, and he's put together four straight double-doubles. Even if he's limited in Game 4, the Heat are going to have a difficult time defending at the rim if Whiteside is on the shelf.
Haslem did a fine job, but there was a reason the Heat glued him to the bench in the regular season—and it wasn't to preserve him for the playoffs. Losing Whiteside means more wide-open driving lanes for Lowry and DeRozan and even more of a burden for an already-taxed Wade. With Chris Bosh already ruled out for the playoffs, this patchwork Miami team may have been dealt a blow from which it can't recover.
Postgame Reaction
Raptors coach Dwane Casey said he had faith in Lowry despite his struggles, per ESPN.com: "I've never lost faith in him. I've said this: He's struggled, but you don't forget how to shoot. And we needed that. We needed him to be Kyle and he was Kyle tonight."
Wade commented on Whiteside's injury: "Guys have to step up. Nobody can be Hassan Whiteside. ... We have to figure out a way."
Lowry said the Raptors' work isn't done: "We came here and got one. But we didn't come here just to get one," via ESPN.com.
Spoelstra also complimented Lowry, per Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today: "It looked like a 6'4"-and-under league out there at the end of the game. Kyle Lowry was terrific tonight. I didn't think we played him that poorly either. ... They made the bigger plays."
Spoelstra also gave his thoughts on the series, per Zillgitt: "What we have is a very competitive series. Each game that potentially looked like this one went into overtime. I don't think either team looks like how they looked in the regular season. So this is just fierce competition."
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