The Miami Heat look for another win against the Toronto Raptors, as they host them at home on Friday night.
Heat (15-9) vs. Raptors (16-11)
Where: AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami, FL
When: Friday, December 18, 8 P.M. ET
Watch: FS-SUN, NBA League Pass
Coming off of a win against the Brooklyn Nets, the Miami Heat look to take their second win in a four-game season series against the Toronto Raptors. The last time these two teams faced off, the Heat came out on top 96-76, as Chris Bosh finished with 23 points and Hassan Whiteside had 20 points and 11 rebounds.
This may still be a close matchup: currently, Toronto now sits sixth in the Eastern Conference, only two spots below Miami. However, the Heat are on a three-game winning streak, their first this year. Friday night will also mark the first of four home games, including on Christmas Day when they take on the New Orleans Pelicans.
Matchup to Watch: Dwyane Wade vs. DeMar DeRozan
Although some people still only take Wade with a grain of salt, as his years in the NBA are winding down, for now he is still around. And on most nights, is doing pretty darn well at that. He may be hitting numbers lower than years prior, but averaging 18.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game is not half bad.
In fact, despite dealing with a somewhat strange condition, Wade managed to lead his team to victory on Wednesday evening; the veteran totaled 28 points on 13-of-17 shooting against the Nets.
And he will certainly need to keep up the good work against DeRozan.
Recently named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the first time in his seven-year professional basketball career, the guard has been playing very well as of late. In his last 10 games, he averaged 23 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists on 47 percent shooting from the field.
The Raptors are definitely depending on DeRozan (as well as teammate Kyle Lowry) to get the job done, with Jonas Valanciunas and DeMarre Carroll both still out with injuries.
Obviously DeRozan has the age advantage over Wade, but do not count him out just yet. Wade is strong on reading his opponents and as long as he gets going early on, he usually ends up having a good night ahead of him.
X-Factor: Hassan Whiteside
It seems that Whiteside is often the X-Factor, but with good reason. The big man is a threat on both sides of the court, and is pretty near impossible to stop when he gets hot.
Bismack Biyombo has stepped in for the injured Valanciunas, and while defensively he is doing a good job, he is not quite as aggressive, offensively. Therefore, Whiteside needs to stay out of early foul trouble and keep focused in order to help the Heat propel past Toronto.
There is also the question of whether head coach Erik Spoelstra will keep benching Whiteside during the fourth quarter. Obviously, the center’s free-throw shooting ability is something to take into consideration, but at the same time he has also become a key piece of the puzzle strategically. His overall energy and demeanor also often help steer the guys in a better direction. Not to mention his raw ability to block the ball.
Key Stats:
Miami Heat offensive efficiency: 18th, 101.5 points per 100 possessions
Miami Heat defensive efficiency: 3rd, 96.9 points per 100 possessions
Toronto Raptors offensive efficiency: 7th, 103.5 points allowed per 100 possessions
Toronto Raptors defensive efficiency: 12th, 99.8 points allowed per 100 possessions