Small lineup lifts Heat to big win over Raptors
Goran Dragic scored a postseason career-high 30 points, Dwyane Wade added 22, and the Heat rode a small lineup to a 103-91 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night, tying their Eastern Conference semifinal series 3-3.
DeMar DeRozan added 23 for the Raptors, but their teammates combined to shoot 14-of-34 from the floor and manage 32 points.
“We came here to try to win the game,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said.
Dragic shot 12-of-21, Wade blocked a game-high three shots and the Heat — despite some serious size deficiencies with injured starting center Hassan Whiteside still out — lost the rebounding battle only 43-41.
Deng jumped center and Winslow got his first playoff start, three games after sitting out Game 3 entirely.
The Heat like using the term “positionless basketball,” and Winslow epitomized it early — in a 60-second span, the rookie guarded Raptors center Bismack Biyombo, brought the ball up like a point guard and made a corner three.
“The guys played really well,” said Whiteside, who will fly with the Heat to Toronto but said he will not play Sunday.