NBA Playoffs: Raptors vs. Heat Game 3 recap, full highlights

The Toronto Raptors pulled out a win against the Miami Heat amid a physical battle in Game 3.

Game 3 between the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat wasn’t a forgiving one on Saturday evening.

After a series that had seen players leave with injuries for the locker room in the first two games, Game 3 proved to be no different and it may have potentially changed the future outlook for both teams as they try to move forward.

Early on in the game, it was a battle of the big men between Jonas Valanciunas and Hassan Whiteside. Both mean would work each other in the post and it was a tight game between both squads.

Whiteside would be the first to fall on the day, as he would come down and have his knee bend in an awkward fashion. It was the same knee that he had hurt in Game 1. The reports soon trickled out that he had sprained his knee and would be out the remainder of the game.

That’s when Valanciunas would begin to feast even more on the void that the Heat left in the middle. As fate would have it, the Raptors looked like they were going to pull away with the game behind their big man. Then Valanciunas came down on his ankle in an awkward manner and would leave the game just like his counterpart.

Dwyane Wade would turn back the clock and begin to go to work on the Raptors with some incredible shots behind the arc and some big dunks down low. The Heat would surge back to take the lead late in the fourth, but a Kyle Lowry three would push the Raptors back ahead.

With 30 second remaining and Wade guarding him, Lowry hit a huge jumper again right over Wade and the Raptors pushed their lead back to three. Wade would answer back with a layup of his own to make it a one-point game again.

Joe Johnson would miss a long three to tie the game and a free throw would push the Raptors’ lead back to four points. The Raptors would hold and take a 2-1 series lead and pick up the huge road win.

Full Highlights

Three Stars

3. Jonas Valanciunas

Before he rolled his ankle, Valanciunas was a force down low for the Raptors. He left with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

2. Dwyane Wade

Wade had a flashback to his old performance against Toronto. He finished with 38 points and 8 rebounds.

1. Kyle Lowry

After criticism of his play in the moment, Lowry hit two big shots when they needed it most. He finished the night with 33 points.

Betting Odds

The Heat came into the game as 5.5-point favorites. With the close loss, the Heat just missed covering the spread.

What’s Next?

The two teams will meet for Game 4 on Monday night.

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