The Miami Heat outscored the Toronto Raptors 23-13 in the fourth quarter to earn a 102-97 victory on Sunday night at American Airlines Arena, ending the Raptors' five-game winning streak in the process.
Raptors vs. Heat final score: Miami ends Toronto’s 5-game winning streak with 102-97 triumph
The Heat locked down defensively in the fourth quarter to end the Raptors’ five-game winning streak.
Mike Ehrmann
Toronto had a chance to grab a late lead with 24 seconds left, but Amir Johnson missed a bunny. Moments later, Kyle Lowry missed a potential game-tying three. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade went a combined 6-for-6 at the free throw line in the final minute.
James had 30 points on 12-for-18 shooting to lead Miami. Wade struggled on the second night of a back-to-back, scoring just 14 points on 5-for-13 shooting. Michael Beasley picked up some of the scoring slack with 17 points off the bench.
The game was tight throughout, with the Heat taking a 52-51 lead into halftime. But it was the Raptors who controlled the third quarter, opening up a nine-point lead midway through the frame. Toronto then withstood a Miami surge and held a five-point cushion heading into the fourth quarter before its offense went cold.
DeMar DeRozan had a big game for the Raptors, scoring 26 points and handing out seven assists. Toronto shot 50.6 percent from the field, but that was mitigated by some poor work on the boards against a Miami team that ranks toward the bottom of the league in rebounding. The Heat racked up 14 offensive boards on the night, nearly eight more than their season average.
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