Game 78: Raptors vs Heat, Sun Apr 3, 2022, 7:00 PM, SN

[DanH]

Starters:

TOR:
VanVleet
Trent
Anunoby
Barnes
Siakam

MIA:
Lowry
Butler
Strus
Tucker
Adebayo

Team Ranks:

TOR: 14th ORTG, 8th DRTG, 2nd OREB%, 23rd DREB%

MIA: 12th ORTG, 4th DRTG, 10th OREB%, 6th DREB%

Small starters are terrible (as starters) but we'll keep going back to that well, I'm sure.

Heat are real good (currently 1st in the East), though scuffling lately at 5-5 in their last 10 - but won their last two. Lowry makes his Toronto return which should be a sight to see.

Raps are on a 5 game win streak and 8-2 in their last 10, still tied for 5th with the Bulls (who have the tie breaker), and now only 1.5 games back of Philly for 4th and homecourt (who the Raps have the tie breaker over for the moment, with one more head to head game coming up, and who have lost 3 in a row).

Heat are a good rebounding team which coupled with their defence could spell trouble for the Raps, who so often use their offensive rebounding to bail out some rough offensive patches.

All three Heat games this season have been close games, including one triple overtime game, and the Raps took 2 of the 3. Should be a fun one!

[DanH]

Hey, can anyone find the game thread for the Feb 26th game against the Hawks? I cannot.

[Jclaw]

Hey, can anyone find the game thread for the Feb 26th game against the Hawks? I cannot.

Here’s your answer. Took a bit of searching.

Website is back up.

Back to back shit games isn't fun. Gotta get it together before it really starts getting out of hand.

There we’re some dark days when threads were being started mid game but I didn’t remember one being missed. And that was more around the pistons/magic loss era. Alas, there was no Hawks thread because, strangely, there was no Republic.

This was my first clue

This kind of works for the, I suspect, intentionally buried lead. Kyle, you’re home.

[G__Deane]

Fred's got a good chance tonight (needs 3) to break Kyle's single season record for threes made.
If (when!) he breaks it, do the Raptors stop the game/use a TV timeout/does Nick call a timeout for some Fred-love in front of Lowry?

What are the odds!

[Jclaw]

Funny Heat - Raptors stat that no one would have predicted. Literally no one. Kyle is shooting 37% from 3 and the guy he was traded for (Precious) is shooting one percent less at 36%

[saints91]

Fred’s gonna go at him hard

[GOLDBLUM]

Gonna get to be at this one. So stoked.

DanH vs The GROAT

Go Dan

[DanH]

That's awesome, enjoy the game Goldblum!

[gambler]

lynn questionable.....finally....even if he doesnt play tonight ...more than likely play teh last four....better than nothing

[golden]

Things to watch tonight:

Heat are #1 in 3P%. Our defense gives up a lot of wide open 3s.

Heat play a lot of zone. We struggle against zone defenses.

The usual slow starts at home should be mitigated by the emotional boost of Lowry's return. Fred, OG and Pascal are going to come out with energy and focus... that's for sure.

[planetmars]

Best on the Vegas line, and what Spo said post game yesterday, I don't think the Heat will have a full crew. I suspect guys like Bam and Butler to take the game off. The Heat still have a scrappy bench. And of course Lowry.

[G__Deane]

Gonna get to be at this one. So stoked.

DanH vs The GROAT

Go Dan

Those tickets had to be a hot item. I have tickets to the Sixers game but would have loved to see this one.

[G__Deane]

No one has mentioned that the Heat did us a solid and beat the Bulls last night.
Time to take advantage and take down the heat tonight, this is now even a bigger game if we have eyes on 4th.
*We're now a half game up on the Bulls!

[slaw]

No one has mentioned that the Heat did us a solid and beat the Bulls last night.
Time to take advantage and take down the heat tonight, this is now even a bigger game if we have eyes on 4th.
*We're now a half game up on the Bulls!

I believe the Raps now control their own destiny for fifth. Gonna need some help from Philly to get to fourth.

[Jclaw]