The Toronto Raptors' struggles in the postseason can be easily summed up by the struggles of their two star players.
In keeping with their reputation as two of the worst playoff performers of all time, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan continued to struggle in a must-win Game 2.
They shot a combined 16-of-46 from the field and the Raptors should have fallen down 2-0 ahead of an impossible trip to the American Airlines Arena.
Related: VIDEO - Lowry is deathly afraid to shoot
With the Heat coughing up 11 turnovers in the first quarter, the Raptors raced out to the early lead. But once the game settled into a halft-court tempo, Toronto's offense stalled. DeRozan and Lowry clanked jumper after jumper, and it looked like another second-half collapse was on its way.
The Heat whittled away bit by bit, and eventually took a seven-point lead midway through the fourth. But that's when a savior emerged.
Jonas Valanciunas started off the game slow. He was hidden away in the engulfing shadows of Hassan Whiteside's endless wingspan and as usual, his guards rarely looked to find him down low.
He scored just four points on three shots through the first three quarters, but when it became apparent that his guards had nothing left, they turned to Valanciunas as a last resort. Luckily, he saved his best for last.
"He was definitely why we won this game," DeRozan said of Valanciunas.
It was Valanciunas who finally stopped the bleeding. The Heat went on a 17-2 run between the third and fourth quarters, but it was Valanciunas who worked a post-up into two free throws to end the run.
A minute later, Valanciunas grabbed one of his three steals on the night to spark a fast break which he then finished. That allowed the Raptors to reclaim the lead. He would tie up Whiteside moments later, then win the jump ball for yet another takeaway.
But the Heat still managed to reclaim the lead, and pushed it to as much as six with four minutes left in regulation.
That's when Valanciunas took over the scoring. He posted up Whiteside for one of his signature sweeping right hooks. He followed that up by beating two defenders for an offensive rebound before dropping in a tough left-handed layup. Two minutes later, after DeRozan missed two free throws with the game tied at 80, Valanciunas somehow willed his way once again for yet another putback.
The Raptors were afraid to attack the Valanciunas-Whiteside matchup early on. But in the fourth quarter and overtime, Valanciunas came alive to save the Raptors.
| Statistic | Valanciunas | Whiteside |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 11 | 3 |
| FGA | 5 | 1 |
| FGM | 6 | 3 |
| Rebounds | 7 | 3 |
| Steals | 3 | 1 |
| Blocks | 1 | 0 |
Valanciunas should have Lowry and DeRozan's undivided attention. Feeding the big man is the key to victory.
