Written by Liam Boylan Pett at SB Nation.com
Dwyane Wade will not let the Miami Heat fold. He had 30 points, including the overtime-forcing bucket with 12.6 seconds left, to lead the Heat to a 94-87 win over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday. The win pulled the Heat even with the Raptors at 2-2 in their second-round playoff series.
The Raptors got nothing from stars Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, instead being led by Cory Joseph’s 14 points as the Raptors went cold down the stretch to let the Heat back into it. The games haven’t exactly been pretty, but they have been close.
The Heat led 25-21 after the first quarter and ended the half on a 9-0 run to end the second quarter by holding the Raptors scoreless over the final 4:03. They led 44-35 thanks to a big half from Wade, who netted 15 points. Miami went cold to start the third quarter, though, scoring only four points in the first seven minutes as the Raptors outscored the Heat 27-16 in the frame to take a 62-60 lead.
The Raptors kept pouring it on in the fourth as Lowry finally found a groove. They jumped out to a 79-72 lead with DeRozan on the bench. Dwyane Wade led a 6-0 run to pull the Heat to within two with 3:42 left. The Raptors struggled against the Heat’s small lineup and, once Lowry fouled out with 1:58 left, looked like they would fold. Cory Joseph hit a huge bucket to give the Raptors an 83-79 lead with 1:30 left, but the Heat tied it after two Joe Johnson free throws and a Wade driving bucket with 12.6 seconds left to force overtime.
The Heat outscored the Raptors 6-2 over the first four minutes of overtime, but DeRozan finally hit a bucket to pull the Raptors to within two with 43 seconds left. Goran Dragic made a running bucket and was fouled with 22.4 seconds left, and that was it. The Raptors and Heat were tied at two wins apiece.
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