PREMIUM
$20 TUESDAY >> Rogers' 10* NBA PLAY OF THE DAY!
(NBA) Miami vs. Toronto,
Point Spread: 8.00 | -110.00 Miami (Away)
Result: Win
Point Spread: 8.00 | -110.00 Miami (Away)
Result: Win
The set-up: The Toronto Raptors's five-game winning streak have them sitting atop the Eastern Conference standings at 39-16 (Celtics are 40-18). The Raptors' five wins have come by an average of 21 points and Toronto looks to make it six in a row tonight, when they host the 3-26 Miami Heat. Miami snapped a five-game losing streak with a 91-85 win over Milwaukee last Friday, a contest which marked the return of Dwayne Wade.
Miami: "I'm definitely excited to be back," Wade, who arrived in a trade from Cleveland at Thursday's deadline, told reporters. "The jersey and the colors fit." Wade scored three points on 1-of-6 shooting in his return but ran the second unit and delivered some key defensive plays with two blocks and two steals. "We're not asking him to come in here and bail us out in all these situations," Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. Wade wasn't the only Heat player to struggle offensively on Friday, as All-Star point guard Goran Dragic (17.2-4.0-4.8) went 1-of-11 from the floor after scoring 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting in the previous contest. Spoelstra said Kelly Olynyk (11.0 & 5.5), who has missed the past two games with a strained left shoulder, is improving but will not play in the game in Toronto. Center Whiteside (14.2 & 8.) has "Mr. Inside" to Dragic's "Mr. Outside' this season for the Heat, who currently own teh East's No. 8 seed.
Toronto: The team's lopsided victories are giving the starting-five some time off and the second unit a chance to shine. "Ah, I'm tired of them," All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry (16.4-5.8-6.4) joked to reporters about the team's backups. "Freddy (VanVleet) came to us and told us 'way to go bench mob,' talking about us. We the bench mob right now." CJ Miles (10.3) is leading that second unit for Toronto of late and scored a season-high 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting in Sunday's 123-103 win over Charlotte. The 30-year-old small forward is 18-of-27 from the floor (14-of-21 from 3-point range) over the last three contests while VanVleet is averaging 11.8 points -- nearly four more than his season average -- and scored in double figures in each of the last five contests. All-Star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan (23.9-4.0-5.2) was just 2-of-11 from the floor in a win over the New York Knicks on Thursday but found his form again while scoring 25 points on 10-of-19 against the Hornets
The pick:. Toronto is the East's highest-scoring team at 11.6 PG (3rd overall) and is 23-4 SU at home. but the Heat defeated the Raptors 90-89 on Jan. 9 in the first meeting of the season between the teams with Wayne Ellington scoring on a layup for Miami in the final second of the game. It was just the third home loss of the season for the Raptors and ended a 12-game winning streak at the Air Canada Centre, equaling a franchise best. Toronto's stay at the top of the Eastern Conference standings could be in jeopardy right here. Take the points and make Miami a 10* play.
Miami: "I'm definitely excited to be back," Wade, who arrived in a trade from Cleveland at Thursday's deadline, told reporters. "The jersey and the colors fit." Wade scored three points on 1-of-6 shooting in his return but ran the second unit and delivered some key defensive plays with two blocks and two steals. "We're not asking him to come in here and bail us out in all these situations," Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. Wade wasn't the only Heat player to struggle offensively on Friday, as All-Star point guard Goran Dragic (17.2-4.0-4.8) went 1-of-11 from the floor after scoring 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting in the previous contest. Spoelstra said Kelly Olynyk (11.0 & 5.5), who has missed the past two games with a strained left shoulder, is improving but will not play in the game in Toronto. Center Whiteside (14.2 & 8.) has "Mr. Inside" to Dragic's "Mr. Outside' this season for the Heat, who currently own teh East's No. 8 seed.
Toronto: The team's lopsided victories are giving the starting-five some time off and the second unit a chance to shine. "Ah, I'm tired of them," All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry (16.4-5.8-6.4) joked to reporters about the team's backups. "Freddy (VanVleet) came to us and told us 'way to go bench mob,' talking about us. We the bench mob right now." CJ Miles (10.3) is leading that second unit for Toronto of late and scored a season-high 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting in Sunday's 123-103 win over Charlotte. The 30-year-old small forward is 18-of-27 from the floor (14-of-21 from 3-point range) over the last three contests while VanVleet is averaging 11.8 points -- nearly four more than his season average -- and scored in double figures in each of the last five contests. All-Star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan (23.9-4.0-5.2) was just 2-of-11 from the floor in a win over the New York Knicks on Thursday but found his form again while scoring 25 points on 10-of-19 against the Hornets
The pick:. Toronto is the East's highest-scoring team at 11.6 PG (3rd overall) and is 23-4 SU at home. but the Heat defeated the Raptors 90-89 on Jan. 9 in the first meeting of the season between the teams with Wayne Ellington scoring on a layup for Miami in the final second of the game. It was just the third home loss of the season for the Raptors and ended a 12-game winning streak at the Air Canada Centre, equaling a franchise best. Toronto's stay at the top of the Eastern Conference standings could be in jeopardy right here. Take the points and make Miami a 10* play.
