Sunday, November 25, 2018

Sunday NBA preview: Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors

TV: Sportsnet One

RADIO: Sportsnet 590 The FAN

PROBABLE STARTERS

Miami: Wayne Ellington, James Johnson, Rodney McGruder, Josh Richardson, Hassan Whiteside

Toronto: Danny Green, Kyle Lowry, Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, Jonas Valanciunas

KEY MATCHUP

Whiteside/Valanciunas

Whiteside sat out practice Wednesday to manage knee tendinitis, but played against the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. He’s putting up 14 points a night and leads the league with 3.1 blocks a game. Valanciunas, despite playing a career-low 19.5 minutes per game, is racking up numbers that rival his career-high averages in points (12.8) and assists (1.2).

NEED TO KNOW

The Heat will be without Goran Dragic (knee), Tyler Johnson (hamstring) and Dion Waiters (ankle). They’re 2-4 in games Dragic has missed this season ... Toronto’s injury list is down to Norman Powell (shoulder) ... Coach Nick Nurse is impressed with Leonard after missing almost all of last season: “I thought it would be a more easing-in thing. I didn’t know he would be this ready to play” ... Three-point shooting has been key to the Raptors’ success: 36.9 per cent from beyond the arc in 16 wins, just 24.5 per cent in their four losses.

UP NEXT

In Memphis on Tuesday, 8 p.m.

Laura Armstrong is a sports reporter based in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @lauraarmy