NBA Playoffs: Raptors vs. Heat Game 6 recap, full highlights

The Heat fought off elimination at home to force a decisive Game 7 against the Raptors

Facing elimination against the Toronto Raptors on their home floor at AmericanAirlines Arena on Friday night, the Miami Heat were up against some pretty big odds in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in the 2016 NBA Playoffs. However, they responded right away in Game 6, as they used a strong start from the likes of Justise Winslow and Goran Dragic to jump out to an early lead.

What was interesting in the first half of the matchup was that both Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan were playing quite well for the Raptors, but they could only just keep the deficit manageable thanks to the performance of the Heat role players through the first two quarters. Even more curious was that this was happening while Dwyane Wade was struggling in a major way.

That same trend continued in the third quarter with Dragic really catching fire and carrying his team while Lowry kept the game close and while Wade continued to struggle. However, things changed in the fourth quarter in a big way, for the Heat at least.

Wade finally started picking it up on the offensive end of the floor, knocking down shots from the perimeter and making more big defensive and hustle plays for the Heat. Though the Raptors and Lowry didn’t roll over, Wade joining Dragic in leading Miami was too much for the road team to handle. The Heat pulled away to get the win and force a decisive Game 7 against the Raptors to determine who moves on to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Three Stars

Goran Dragic, Heat – 30 points, seven rebounds, four assists

Kyle Lowry, Raptors – 36 points, four rebounds, three assists

Dwyane Wade, Heat – 22 points, five assists, six rebounds, two steals, three blocks

Highlights

Next Game

The decisive Game 7 between the Raptors and Heat will take place in the Air Canada Centre on Sunday, May 15.

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