The Toronto Raptors visit Miami to take on the Heat in Game of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, pitting the fifth-ranked offense against the fourth-ranked defense. The game gets underway at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, May 13 and will air on ESP, #0 and C+D.
The Heat were beaten by the Raptors 99-91 on Wednesday. Dwyane Wade finished with 20 points to lead the team.
Points could be at a premium in this matchup between two of the league’s elite defenses. The Heat rank fourth in the NBA in defensive efficiency (101.7), while the Raptors are fifth (103.1). Also, the Raptors’s fifth-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 106.9) will face off against the fourth-ranked defense of the Heat (defensive efficiency of 101.7).
The Heat enter the game with records of 54-40 Straight Up (SU) and 50-43-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 3-7 ATS over their last 10 games. It’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score on the Heat. The 97.6 points that Miami’s defense allows per game makes them the third-ranked defense in the league. Miami’s defense can be considered one of the best in the league. The Heat allow a .438 opponent field-goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the league.
Across the court, Toronto has a SU record of 63-31 and an ATS record of 48-45-1. In Eastern Conference games, Toronto has gone 63-31 SU and 48-45-1 ATS. During the last 10 games, they averaged 92.6 PPG, below their 101.5 PPG season average. The Raptors are one of the top defensive teams in the league, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 97.7 points allowed per game.
Toronto beat Miami in their most recent meeting this season, moving its SU record against the Heat to 7-3 in their last 10 head-to-head meetings. The Raptors also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – Tor
Notes
Toronto ranks 20th in points per game with 101.5, while Miami ranks third in points allowed with an average of 97.6 given up.
Toronto ranks 20th in points per away game with 99.3 points, while Miami ranks third in points allowed at home with 96.8.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Raptors are 52-6 on the season. When the Heat score fewer than 100, they are a losing 18-29.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Raptors are just 11-25 this season. Miami is an outstanding 36-11 when registering triple digits.
The Heat have a defensive rating of 101.7, fourth-best in the NBA. The Raptors also rank in the top half of the league for their offensive rating of 106.9 (ranked fifth).
The Miami Heat have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking fourth in the league with a FG% of 46.9%. When their opponents have a similar or higher FG%, the Toronto Raptors are 12-17.
The Miami Heat rank higher in field goal percentage (fourth) than effective field goal percentage (11th), while the Toronto Raptors rank the same for both metrics (19th).
Miami makes an average of 20.3 assists per game (ranked 26th), while Toronto makes 18.4 assists per game (ranked 29th).
The Miami Heat top the league in blocking, with 6.4 made per game. The Toronto Raptors average 5.3 blocks per game (ranked 11th).
The Miami Heat rank 22nd in offensive rebounding, while the Toronto Raptors rank 21st in defensive rebounding.
The Miami Heat make an average of 6.6 steals per game. When the Toronto Raptors allow 6 or more steals, they are a solid 41-17.
