NBA Eastern Conference Semifinal Preview: Raptors vs Heat

(photo credit: heatnation.com)

The second-seeded Toronto Raptors will face the third-seeded Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in a best of seven series starting on Tuesday, May 3 in Toronto. Toronto has the home court advantage as the higher seed.

To reach the Conference Semifinals, the Raptors bested the Indiana Pacers in the first round, winning the series by a margin of 4-3. Toronto clinched the series with an 89-84 victory in Game 7 on Sunday, winning their first playoff series since 2001. DeMar DeRozan has led the way for the Raptors so far, averaging 18 points per game despite shooting just 32% from the field. Kyle Lowry has added 14 points and 7.6 assists, while also shooting 32%. Jonas Valanciunas has put up 13.6 points, 12 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game to provide a solid low-post presence.

Miami had just as much trouble dispatching the Charlotte Hornets, also winning their series in seven games. The clincher was Sunday’s 33-point blowout, propelling Miami to the second round for the first time without LeBron James since 2006. Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng have led the Heat attack, averaging 19 points per game each. Hassan Whiteside continues his remarkable production, contributing 13.1 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game.

During the season, Toronto won 3 of the 4 matchups with Miami. Two of Toronto’s victories were by margins of 14 and 20, with the third going to overtime. Miami won their first meeting of the season by 19.

The schedule for the entire series is as follows:

Game 1: Wednesday, May 3, @ Toronto, 8 p.m. ET on TNT

Game 2: Friday, May 5, @ Toronto, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN

Game 3: Sunday, May 7, @ Miami, 5 p.m. ET on ESPN

Game 4: Tuesday, May 9, @ Miami, 8 p.m. ET on TNT

Game 5 (if necessary): Thursday, May 11, @ Toronto, Time TBD, on TNT

Game 6 (if necessary): Saturday, May 13, @ Miami, Time TBD, on ESPN

Game 7 (if necessary): Monday, May 15, @ Toronto, Time and Channel TBD