Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors (-4.5, 189.5)

Series tied 3-3

The Miami Heat are embracing small ball in ways rarely seen within the NBA and are at the verge of taking it to the Eastern Conference finals. The warmth will again operate and not using a traditional center after they visit the Toronto Raptors for Game 7 on Sunday.

Miami didn’t just leave the middle out of the lineup in Game 6 with starter Hassan Whiteside sidelined, it left power forwards Amar’e Stoudemire and Udonis Haslem at the bench all the game to boot while small forwards Luol Deng, Justise Winslow and Joe Johnson started and got the majority of the playing time within the frontcourt. "Sometimes unconventional works," veteran guard Dwyane Wade, who scored 22 points within the 103-91 triumph, told reporters of the lineup. The Raptors received solid play from the backcourt pairing of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry but did not contain the Miami guards and the waves of perimeter players the warmth sent at them at the defensive end. “They did a very good job of setting the tempo and the way of play early and we didn’t comply with it so far as guarding the basketball, containing the basketball, keeping it in front of us,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey told reporters.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

LINE HISTORY: The Raptors opened as 4.5-point favorites and the overall hit the board at 189.5. On the time this preview might be published on Saturday evening, neither number has moved. Take a look at your complete line history here.

MATCHUP CHART:

ABOUT THE WARMTH (55-40, 51-43-1 ATS, 39-55-1 O/U): Miami, like Toronto, is playing a Game 7 for the second one time already on this postseason and is confident it will possibly get the job done at the road. "It's different than a standard game," Wade told reporters. "IT IS NOT a Game 1, where you may have a Game 2 day after today. It's a must to give a bit more. It's important to perform a little more. It's important to give everything you have got. There is not any tomorrow." The warmth are at their best when point guard Goran Dragic is playing aggressively and attacking the basket, and the 30-year-old posted his playoff high with 30 points in Friday’s triumph.

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (63-32, 49-46 ATS, 46-48-1 O/U): Toronto was without its starting center to boot (Jonas Valanciunas, ankle) but elevated reserve center Bismack Biyombo into the starting lineup and tried to play a more traditional style on offense. The Raptors lamented their struggles with one-on-one defense after the loss, with Lowry particularly noting the trouble of containing Dragic, but are excited for Game 7 at home. “This goes to be fun,” Lowry told reporters. “It’s Game 7, (No. 2 seed) versus No. 3 and an even opportunity to play on one of the crucial biggest stages there may be. Time to simply exit there and hoop.”

TWEET BEAT:

TRENDS:

* Heat are 5-1 ATS of their last 6 after scoring 100 points or more of their previous game.* Raptors are 2-8 ATS of their last 10 games overall.* Under is 7-2 in Heat last 9 road games vs. a team with a house winning % of more than .600.* Over is 23-5 in Raptors last 28 games following a straight up lack of greater than 10 points.

COVERS CONSENSUS: The general public is favoring the Raptors as home favorites at 55 percent and the Over is getting 60 percent of the action in early wagering. View full consensus data here.

DANCE TEAM BATTLE:

Read More... [Source: Covers.com: NBA News and Stories]