The Toronto Raptors (28-15) held on to their second-place position in the turbulent Eastern Conference with a 101-81 home win over the Miami Heat (23-21).
Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry earned starting All-Star honors this week, joining his opponent, Miami guard Dwyane Wade, in the Eastern Conference backcourt. Lowry filled the stat sheet on Friday, delivering 15 points, four rebounds, six assists, a pair of steals, and a block. It was his fellow guard DeMar DeRozan, however, that made the biggest splash, lighting up the Heat defense for 33 points. The Raptors were red-hot from behind the three-point arc, shooting 52 percent on attempts from deep.
Miami, meanwhile, hit just 4 of 17 attempts from beyond the arc. All-Star Dwyane Wade recorded 22 points while fellow star Chris Bosh posted 26, but no other Miami player reached double-digits. The Heat bench contributed just 12 points, and outside of Wade and Bosh, the team shot a paltry 33 percent from the field. Center Hassan Whiteside, who has taken to social media to make a fierce All-Star campaign, was absent from Friday's contest due to a strained left hip.
Miami will have two days of rest before traveling to Chicago on Monday. Meanwhile, Toronto plays host to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday afternoon.
