Toronto Raptors at Miami Heat (-5.5)

Series tied 1-1

The shooting woes of Toronto Raptors stars Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan continue to persist, however the team is finding how one can stay in games in the course of the postseason. The Raptors will again attempt to get more from their All-Star backcourt and aim for a 2-1 lead once they visit the Miami Heat for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Saturday.

Lowry followed up a 3-of-13 effort in Game 1 with a 7-of-22 mark in Game 2 and is shooting 30.8 percent within the postseason while DeRozan is solely marginally better at 33.7 percent from the ground within the playoffs. “Those guys (Lowry and DeRozan), we need to continue to compliment them,” Toronto coach Dwane Casey told reporters. “Find ways. There are alternative ways to win the sport than shooting the basketball.” The warmth gave the Raptors the way to win Thursday’s game with 21 turnovers that ended in 24 points, including 11 miscues within the first quarter alone that allowed Toronto to leap out to a 29-19 lead. “Spotting an excellent team like this roughly 20 extra possessions - however they got them - that’s tough to overcome,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. “Those are numerous possessions to surrender within the postseason. They’re a good, disruptive team.”

TV: 5 p.m. ET, ESPNLINE HISTORY: The warmth opened as 5-point home favorites and feature been bet as much as -5.5. The whole opened at 187 and have been bet up slightly to 187.5. Take a look at all the line history here.MATCHUP CHART:

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (61-30, 47-44 ATS, 44-46-1 O/U): With DeRozan and Lowry struggling to hold the load, DeMarre Carroll stepped up with 21 points in Game 2 and center Jonas Valanciunas scored 11 of his 15 within the fourth quarter and overtime while adding 12 rebounds. "He did that and we didn't even run any plays for him," DeRozan told reporters of Valanciunas. "It was just him being hungry. I BELIEVE he's definitely the rationale that we won the sport (Thursday).” The double-double was the third straight for Valanciunas, who's 17-of-25 from the sphere within the series.

ABOUT THE WARMTH (53-38, 49-41-1 ATS, 37-53-1 O/U): Goran Dragic had two teeth knocked out and needed eight stitches to near a gash in his lip but forced overtime with a 3-pointer and finished with a team-high 20 points in Game 2 while committing four turnovers. “Some of these were silly, silly turnovers,” Dragic told reporters. “Maybe we’re not focused enough. If we eliminate those turnovers, we'd have had a minimum of five possessions more, and in the event you score on half those possessions, it’s six or seven points. We feel like we should always have won this one, so it’s a little of a foul taste in our mouths.” Miami is heading back home for the primary time since Game 7 of the primary round against the Charlotte Hornets, when it steamrolled its method to a 106-73 victory.

TRENDS:

* Raptors are 0-6 ATS of their last six games overall.* Heat are 4-0 ATS of their last four games overall.* Under is 6-0 in Raptors last six road games.* Under is 6-1 in Heat last seven overall.

Golden State Warriors at Portland Trail Blazers (+3.5, 211.5)

Warriors lead series 2-0

The Portland Trail Blazers aren’t prone to see Stephen Curry on Saturday, however the remainder of the Golden State Warriors are doing just fine without their superstar. The soldiers will attempt to take a commanding lead within the Western Conference semifinals once they visit the path Blazers for Game 3.

Portland let a golden opportunity slip away in Game 2, when it entered the fourth quarter with an 11-point lead only to be outscored 34-12 within the final period as Golden State ran away with the win. “It hurts to return within the locker room once you play so well for thus long and also you come again in there with the 'L,'” Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard told reporters. “But this can be a a part of growth. All the season was growth for us. But nights like (Tuesday), we need to close that out. We need to get that done. It was only a missed opportunity.” The 2-0 lead within the series gives the soldiers a possibility to be careful with Curry, who was out since April 24 with a knee injury. “Everything has gone very smoothly,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters about Curry’s rehab after saying his star would “probably not” return on Saturday. “He hasn't had any setbacks. He's ramping up things within the weight room.”

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC

LINE HISTORY: The road was intitially held off the board with Curry's status uncertain, but with Kerr confirming the MVP will miss another game, the soldiers opened as 3.5-point road faves. The entire have been bet down some degree since opening at 212.5 to its current collection of 211.5. Take a look at all the line history here.

MATCHUP CHART:

ABOUT THE SOLDIERS (79-10, 51-36-2 ATS, 47-41-1 O/U): Golden State has only had Curry within the lineup for parts of 2 games this postseason as a result of knee and ankle injuries but continues to flourish behind All-Stars Draymond Green and Klay Thompson and a roster filled with solid role players. Reserve center Festus Ezeli was singled out by coaches and teammates after Game 2 for his contributions on both ends when the soldiers began taking up the sport late. "Changed all of the game for us," Green told reporters of Ezeli. "Some individuals are going to appear and say, 'Oh, he had a pair lobs and had a putback.' No, it isn't that. "Did you spot him at the ball screen with Damian Lillard? Did you notice him at the ball screen with C.J. McCollum?"

ABOUT THE PATH BLAZERS (48-42, 47-43 ATS, 47-43 O/U): Portland won the general four games of its first-round series against the l. a. Clippers after dropping the outlet two and is confident it could pull off an analogous comeback. “We’ve been in bad positions time and time again, and we’ve never shied away,” Lillard told reporters. “We’ve never not answered the decision. I don’t see why this time it'd be any different. In our last series against the Clippers, we were down 0-2. We went home, and the following two games they were just about full strength. That they had their guys and we got it done those two games. Obviously, Golden State is a special monster, but we all know the similar thing can happen.” Lillard went scoreless within the fourth quarter of Game 2 after putting up 25 points within the first three periods.TRENDS:

* Warriors are 4-0 ATS of their last four games overall.* Trail Blazers are 1-6 ATS of their last seven Conference Semi finals games.* Under is 7-0 in Warriors last seven road games.* Under is 7-0 in Trail Blazers last seven games following a SU loss.

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