The Miami Heat continue their feud with the Toronto Raptors

With James Johnson and Serge Ibaka both ejected in Toronto, the Miami Heat and Raptors rivalry continues in 2018.

Amidst the frigid Toronto air, the Miami Heat were pressed with a familiar scene: a one-point game and just seconds left on the clock.

One of the NBA’s premier clutch teams, the Heat remained calm as Goran Dragic inbounded to Wayne Ellington, who laid in the game-sealing shot.

And a rivalry was born.

Truth be told, the Heat and Toronto Raptors have a history. In 2016, after both the Heat and Raptors played seven game first round series against the Charlotte Hornets and Indiana Pacers respectively, the two teams met in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Already beaten from the 300-plus minutes of basketball in the first round, the Miami-Toronto matchup was one of mental fortitude. On top of the playoff stakes, the near-1500 miles separating the cities was an added complication.

That 2016 series, which also stretched to seven games, was foretold by a half-court long bomb by Kyle Lowry. Down by three, Lowry drilled the shot, sending Dwyane Wade reeling to the hardwood in astonishment.

The Heat would eventually extinguish the Raptors in overtime, but Toronto had the last laugh in the series, continuing on to face the LeBron James led Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Game one was just the first of three overtimes in the 2016 series. The gritty matchup was marked by big games on both sides. One night, it’d be Wade or Dragic dropping 30 points. On others, DeMar DeRozan or Lowry would take over. More important than trading shots, however, was the subtle conflict bubbling between locker rooms.

In a regular season game leading up to the playoffs, Heat center Hassan Whiteside addressed his distaste for the Raptors big man, Jonas Valanciunas.

Though his metaphor was misplaced, the sentiment stood. Whiteside called out Valanciunas’ alleged flopping, adding fuel to the burgeoning fiery rivalry.

While both Whiteside and Valanciunas missed much of the series with injuries, the rivalry torch was carried by Josh McRoberts and Bismack Biyombo. After a particularly testy shove from Biyombo, McRoberts responded with a flagrant foul as Biyombo attacked the rim.

Jump to 2018, and the first contest between the Heat and Raptors evoked a similar tension. Though Whiteside and Valanciunas were relatively tame, James Johnson and Serge Ibaka made sure to keep tensions high, getting ejected together after throwing jabs partway through the third quarter.

Ultimately, the shock of one of the league’s best 3-point shooters in Ellington rattling home the game-winner, must have sent DeRozan into a frenzy. He approached Dragic over an unspecified conflict.

The first of three Heat-Raptors games this season has birthed a much needed rivalry in the NBA. Similar to the Washington Wizards-Boston Celtics spat from last year, Miami and Toronto are potentially playoff bound teams seeking to build their stock leading up to the post-season.

Miami, devoid of a lone superstar, has to protect its clout in the post-Wade and post-Big 3 eras, just as Toronto has to prove it can surmount the hurdle that is the Eastern Conference Finals on the backs of DeRozan and Lowry.

Three out of the last five contests between Miami and Toronto have ended with neither team reaching 100 points. Neither squad is quick to crack under pressure, and no amount of injuries or ejections can temper the intensity. With both teams just one of nine holding positive records on the road leaguewide, the stage is set for their next meeting on February 13 in Toronto.

Next: Miami Heat: Wayne Ellington hits game winner over the Raptors, 90-89

Ahead of the All-Star weekend, Miami and Toronto are sure to reignite the rivalry, continuing a tradition for games to come.