The Toronto Raptors finally got the playoff monkey off their back by edging the Indiana Pacers in seven games, and now the Raptors will look to build off the series victory by welcoming in the Miami Heat for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Tuesday.
Heat vs. Raptors 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch NBA playoffs online
The Raptors and Heat get together in the Eastern Conference Semifinals after both winning seven-game first-round series.
Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
While the Raptors were victorious over the Pacers, there's plenty to be improved upon against Miami. Namely, stars Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan will have to be more efficient in order to beat a Heat team that advanced to the second round by beating the Charlotte Hornets in seven games.
Lowry shot under 32 percent overall in the opening round, largely thanks to his 16 percent mark from three on over six attempts per game. His backcourt mate DeRozan also failed to shoot 32 percent from the field, and he clocked in at just under 17 percent from long range. The Heat will throw more tough defense at the Toronto duo, so it’s not going to be easy to break out of their slumps.
Offensively, the Heat hope the Goran Dragic they saw in Game 7 will show up for this series. Dragic struggled throughout much of the first round, but he sliced and diced the Hornets to the tune of 25 points on 11-of-17 shooting in the final game of the seven-game bout. When Dragic is able to push pace and get into the lane, Miami's offense is much more dangerous.
Dwyane Wade and Hassan Whiteside will of course play big roles, but another key is continued excellence from Luol Deng. Deng has been revitalized this season as a small ball power forward, and he put up nearly 20 points per game against Charlotte.
The Raptors won the regular season series over the Heat 3-1.
How to watch Heat-Raptors Game 1
Place: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada
Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV: TNT
Online: Watch TNT
* * *
See More:
