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Post Game Report Card: Raptors cruise past Heat

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Courtesy of gettyimages.com
Courtesy of gettyimages.com

In the midst of a dark period, the Toronto Raptors finally returned to their winning ways with a 102-92 victory over the Miami Heat Friday night at the Air Canada Centre. Toronto (39-26) ended two streaks in the process: a ridiculous 17-game losing streak to Miami (29-36) dating to the dawn of our current decade along with a current four-game skid. The last time the Raps beat the Heat was when franchise cornerstone Chris Bosh donned a Toronto uniform (January 27th, 2010)…safe to say it’s been a while.

The defeat of Miami was even more impressive considering the absence of big man and leading rebounder Jonas Valanciunas. He was absent due to the birth of his baby boy Jonas Jr. Obviously, the timing could have been better considering the team’s recent woes, but hey nature calls. The Raptors will now play seven of their next 10 games at home against pedestrian competition including Minnesota, New York and the Los Angeles Lakers. Next up on the calendar is a Sunday a night tilt against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Offense: B+

Kyle Lowry led the charge with 19 points for the Raptors while DeMar DeRozan chipped in with 18 points. The Raptors were balanced offensively tonight as five players finished with double digit scoring, including Louis Williams and Greivis Vasquez. Collectively, Toronto shot 43.0 % from the field and couldn’t miss a three, hitting 12 of their 33 attempts (36.4%). Ball distribution was also in full effect as the team dished out 26 assists.

Defense: A-

The Raptors had four strong defensive quarters and held the Miami Heat to 92 points on 44.3% shooting. The perimeter defense was especially stout as the Heat went 5-23 from downtown. They also swiped 12 steals from the opposition which led to 18 points off turnovers. Overall, this was one of the better performances in the past two weeks.

Rebounding: B

It’s hard to have a rebounding edge over a squad that features a talented and athletic paint protector in Hassan Whiteside. However, the Raptors went toe to toe with the Heat and were only edged slightly 44-43. Toronto had the advantage in terms of offensive rebounding, finishing with 9 compared to Miami’s 7. Whiteside was the leading rebounder in this contest with 12.
Game Ball: Kyle Lowry
Great bounce back game for the 28-year-old as he amassed a spectacular fantasy line – recording a near quadruple double with 19 points, eight assists, eight rebounds and an impressive seven steals. The former Villanova Wildcat is always capable of putting up great peripheral numbers and tonight was a great example.

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