NBA Playoffs 2016: Friday Schedule, Odds, Pick for Conference Semifinal Action
Three down, one to go in the NBA conference semifinals, though the Miami Heat hope there are two games left in their series against the Toronto Raptors.
The battered Heat started the series against the Raptors well enough, grabbing a 102-96 victory, kickstarting the narratives around Toronto—the team always managing to find a way to lose in the first round.
Dwyane Wade and the Heat have mostly imploded since, though, losing three of the last four to sit in a 3-2 hole.
If it's any consolation for the Heat, Friday's affair goes down in Miami and Las Vegas likes the odds Wade and teammates can pull out a clutch victory with their backs against the wall. Here's everything to know about the elimination game.
Toronto Raptors vs. Miami Heat (-4) (Toronto Leads 3-2)
Date: Friday, May 13
Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Livestream: WatchESPN
Tickets: ScoreBig
Preview
It's going to take a lot for the Heat to pull this one out.
Look at the last encounter between these two, where Miami stormed back from down 20 points to still wind up losing 99-91.
There, 20 points from Wade and winning the battle on the glass 52-49 didn't translate to a win while the Heat otherwise got bullied on the inside, suffering seven blocked shots and 15 turnovers.
To add insult to injury, center Hassan Whiteside remains a question mark while he rehabs a knee injury, according to ESPN.com. In that same writeup, Luol Deng sounds cautiously optimistic about his chances to suit up after suffering an injury in Game 5.
"Right now we're just being smart," Deng said. "I have to know what it is. As long as it's nothing serious, I will be out there Friday [for Game 6]."
None of this is meant to suggest the Raptors aren't limping through the series, either. They've merely adapted to the hurdles better.
Center Jonas Valanciunas hasn't suited up since Game 3 and only played 22 minutes there thanks to an injury. But backup Bismack Biyombo has come up huge, posting a double-double in Game 4 and adding another 10 points and six boards in Game 5.
It helps, of course, that the Raptors have a pair of stars to lean on. In the crucial Game 5, Kyle Lowry poured in 25 on an off shooting night (9-of-25) but got reinforcements by way of DeMar DeRozan's 34 points.
Toronto coach Dwane Casey provided a look at the team's mindset, according to ESPN.com:
"Right now there's nobody healthy in this league, totally healthy. There's something that's hurting on somebody. Kyle Lowry looks like a boxer, got cuts on both eyelids. This is the time you play through it. This is what you work in the summer for. This is what you prepare your professional career for—playoff time.
"
Casey's team continues to win despite iffy shooting and blowing leads, which at this point perhaps says more about the Heat.
Indeed, it's going to take a stark upheaval of odds for Miami to pull this off. In the same story featuring Casey's comments, a key historical stat is referenced: Losers of Game 5 in a tied series wind up losing the series at a whopping 82 percent rate.
Injured and unable to pull off wins when someone like Lowry shoots 36 percent from the floor, the Heat need Wade to have a monster performance if they still want a shot at LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference finals.
Prediction
Las Vegas likes the Heat for good reason.
Statistics aside, desperation plays a large role in a series such as this. And while Miami lost the last game, it came on the road and the Heat left it with a healthy dose of momentum after storming from behind.
Now the Heat return home with the threat of the season ending looming in the background and a wild fanbase set to help.
It might sound like grasping at straws, but Toronto's poor shooting can and will come back to bite it at some point. So long as the Heat admit the offense performs better when Goran Dragic pushes the tempo and Wade plays off it, the Heat will force a Game 7 through sheer speed and better efficiency.
Prediction: Heat 94, Raptors 90
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified. Odds via Odds Shark.
