Miami Heat Survive Raptors; Force Game 7 In Toronto

Dwyane Wade led the Miami Heat in a victory over the Toronto Raptors in Game 6, which now sets up a second consecutive Game 7 for both teams

Banged up and under the threat of elimination, Dwyane Wade led the Heat to a critical victory with a clutch performance in the fourth quarter.

Wade scored 13 of his 22 points in the final frame and added to his record for most blocks – with three more – by a guard in the playoffs.

Despite his big closing performance, none of it was possible without a huge game by Goran Dragic who finished with 30 points. After struggling to finish at the basket in Game 5, Dragic was able to score in the paint early and often.

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The victory was all the more amazing when taking into account that both Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan played exceptionally well – they combined to score 59 points in Game 6.

One of the main criticisms has been the inconsistency from the Raptors’ stars through the series. On the night, Lowry had 36 and DeRozan had 23.

Unfortunately, the Raptors faltered in the fourth quarter and only made two baskets from the field in the final nine minutes of the game.

The series is now set for a critical tilt on Sunday where both squads will be playing their second Game 7 in the playoffs.

The Miami Heat earlier overcame the Charlotte Hornets, while the Raptors defeated the Indiana Pacers in the first round – both in seven games.

The difference in this game is that both squads have lost important pieces down the stretch. Almost simultaneously, the Heat lost Hassan Whiteside while the Raptors lost their center Jonas Valanciunas.

As the second-seeded team in the East, Game 7 will be played in Toronto where the fanbase has embraced their Cinderella team this postseason. After being seemingly on the verge of another early playoff exit, the Raptors are now within reach of their first Conference Finals appearance ever.

Far more than just “Global Ambassador” Drake on the sideline, the team will seemingly have an entire country behind them before tipoff.

For the Miami Heat, the rebuild following LeBron James‘ departure has gone much faster than expected due to the arrival of Whiteside and Dragic. However, the future is clouded by the health of Chris Bosh, who has been the leading scorer for the team the last two seasons.

A loss would raise questions about how much the team has left as they are currently set. While he has seemingly found the fountain of youth, the Heat likely require assistance if Bosh’s career is dishearteningly cut short.

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There’s also the fact that the winner will have to face a rested Cavaliers team that will has not had to play in over a week and is at full strength.

After a long postseason, it’s only fitting that a spot in the final four comes down to an epic Game 7 matchup.

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