Red-hot Heat rip Raptors
MIAMI -- Dion Waiters scored 20 points as the Miami Heat -- the hottest team in the NBA for nearly two months -- cruised to a 104-89 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Miami (32-34) improved to 21-4 since Jan. 17. Toronto (38-28) is 10-15 since Jan. 17.
Heat point guard Goran Dragic had 15 points at the half but was elbowed by Toronto's Cory Joseph 41 seconds into the third quarter and sat out the rest of the game because of a swollen right eye.
Tyler Johnson replaced Dragic and had 10 points in the third quarter and 16 points for the game. Heat center Hassan Whiteside finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds.
The Heat made 11 of 28 from 3-point range. For the season, the Heat made 10 or more 3-pointers 32 times, breaking a franchise record.
Toronto, which made 16 percent of its 3-pointers in a loss to Atlanta on Friday, shot 2 for 5 from deep.
Shooting guard DeMar DeRozan, who Friday became the first Raptors player to score 11,000 career points, had some struggles. He scored 17 points but made only 5 of 16 shots from the floor. He averages 27 points per game.
Raptors small forward DeMarre Carroll, who returned on Friday after missing one game because of an ankle sprain, did not play.
The Heat, who led 32-26 after the first quarter, extended their advantage to 59-41 at halftime. The Heat made 50 percent of their shots in the first half, both on field goals overall and on 3-pointers (8-of-16).
Toronto, meanwhile, made 38 percent of its field goals and was 1 for 8 from behind the arc.
Miami extended its lead to 85-63 after three quarters, shooting 57.9 percent in the period. Toronto could only cut the deficit to 13 in the fourth quarter.