Raptors vs. Heat Preview
MIAMI, FL – The high-powered Miami Heat may not be off to a flying start with their superstar trio, but it’s clear that the Toronto Raptors are a different team without Chris Bosh.
Bosh will face his former team for the first time Saturday night when the Heat try to avoid a third straight loss as they host the Raptors.
Miami (5-4) transformed the landscape of the NBA by adding LeBron James and Bosh, but the results have been mixed to this point. The Heat have dropped two straight at home and are in third place in the Southeast Division.
Oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGlobal.com have made the Heat -15.5 point spread favorites for Saturday’s game against the Raptors. Current NBA Public Betting Information shows that 70% of more than 645 bets for this game have been placed on the Heat -15.5.
“I think when you lose two in a row early on, I think everybody is expecting us to panic,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I’m sure the outside perception is in a panic right now. And that’s the most important thing for us right now – to stay together as a group.
Bosh is averaging 14.8 points – his lowest mark since his second season with Toronto (2-7) – and a career-low 6.0 rebounds. The five-time All-Star forward is the Raptors’ all-time leader in points (10,275), rebounds (4,776) and blocks (600) after they selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2003 draft.
He feels he is having trouble adjusting on the defensive end of the court, and that’s why his rebounding has been poor with Miami.
“I just have to know my role and keep working at it,” Bosh said. “Just watch a lot of film and get back in the play sometimes and be able to rebound from where I am instead of just trying to stay under the basket all the time and wait till it comes my way. I have to be aggressive and move a little bit more.”
The Raptors are clearly having trouble replacing their top scorer and rebounder, although they ended a six-game skid with a surprising 110-106 victory at Orlando on Friday. Andrea Bargnani led the Raptors with 27 points, but Sonny Weems and DeMar DeRozan made the key plays.
Weems made a tie-breaking 3-pointer with 7.1 seconds left. DeRozan scored 26, including four free throws that sealed the win.
“I think we put everything together, played a full 48 minutes tonight,” DeRozan said. “We want to prove how good we really are and our record doesn’t show it, but when you go out and prove it, it’s a whole other story.”
The Heat had Friday off after a 112-107 loss to Boston the previous night. Dwyane Wade made 2 of 12 shots for a season-low eight points after averaging 30.5 over his previous four games.
“Of course people are smiling and feeling good about our 5-4 start and as well as they should be,” Wade said. “The Heat haters, that’s fine. But as long as we continue to get our support from our fans and in here, we’ll be fine.”
James is second on the team in scoring with a 22.2 average, tied for second with Bosh in rebounding and tops in assists (8.7 per game). The two-time reigning MVP, though, is shooting 44.0 percent – his lowest mark since his 2003-04 rookie season.
“We knew it was going to be a challenge,” James said. “I knew it wouldn’t just be a bed of roses stepping into this situation. But I came here for the challenge.”
Miami has won three of the last five meetings with Toronto after losing the previous six.