Leon Draisaitl scored

[ldh2013]

TORONTO - With recent history heavily favouring the visiting team, the Raptors (6-8) will welcome the Miami Heat (12-3) back to the Air Canada Centre tonight in the hopes of knocking off the defending champions for the first time in nearly four years. . Dont miss a single shot, live on TSN beginning at 7pm et/4pm pt. Winners of their last eight games, the Heat return to Toronto for the second time in the month of November. After beginning the season 4-3, allowing 100.9 points on 47 per cent shooting, Miamis resurgent defence has vaulted them back to the top of a weak Eastern Conference. Teams are scoring just 91.9 points, shooting 42 per cent against the Heat during their streak. "Its significant in the fact that youre playing against the championship team," Dwane Casey said of a match-up with the Heat, who have won their last 12 meetings with the Raptors - including six straight in Toronto - most recently a 104-95 victory on Nov. 5. "You can measure yourself a little bit, see where you are as a player, see where you are as a team but its not going to define our season, win or lose." The Raptors havent defeated Miami since Jan. 27, 2010, the winter before LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade in Miami. Although each of their scoring averages are down from a year ago, all three of the Heats all-stars are shooting above 50 per cent this season. Toronto nearly clawed back from a 15-point deficit in the final three minutes of Tuesdays contest at home to the struggling Nets. Instead, a missed Amir Johnson three-point attempt at the buzzer sealed the teams disappointing 102-100 loss. "We take two steps forward and we take a half a step back," Casey said, his team allowing Brooklyn to shoot 51 per cent Tuesday. "Thats the mark of a young team, trying to find themselves. But you can say that about a lot of teams in the league." "Its a trend in the NBA, period," he continued. "Theres probably three-to-four teams that can say, this is who we are and [are] playing that way. Theres a lot of teams, for whatever reason and specifically in the Eastern Conference, that are trying to find who they are and what they want to be." One month into the season, the Heat are one of only two Eastern Conference teams with a record above .500 and one of four teams - including the Raptors - with a positive point differential. "I dont think anybody really saw it coming," Chris Bosh said of the weak conference. "A lot of teams have struggled early. Its down a little bit but its a long season, Im sure a lot of teams will turn their fate around and start playing better basketball." Bosh is averaging 19.6 points in seven career games against the Raptors, his former team. He didnt play in the first meeting this season following the birth of his daughter. Trends and Tidbits DeMar DeRozan has led the Raptors in scoring in four of the last five games. Averaging 28.6 points in those contests, the Raptors guard leads in the NBA in scoring since Nov. 5. DeRozan is shooting 52 per cent from the field and 13-of-25 beyond the arch over that stretch. He has hit three or more treys in three of the last five games, a feat he has accomplished six times in the last 17 contests - dating back to last season - after doing so just twice in the first 311 games of his career. Kyle Lowry has led the Raptors in assists in each of the last six contests. He has recorded 49 assists with just 10 turnovers during that stretch. The Raptors can finish with seven wins in October/November for the first time since 2009 with a victory on Friday. What to Watch For Defending home court With perhaps their most complete efforts coming on the road - in Memphis and Philadelphia - the Raptors have struggled to maintain their focus on home court this season. They have an identical record at home (3-4) as they do away from Toronto and they have lost three of their last four at the ACC. "Our focus is not where it needs to be at home," Casey admitted after practice on Thursday. "Its hard to say [why]. I think its easy and kind of human nature to relax at home a little bit, thinking home is going to take care of you but the main thing is, you need to take care of home." Taking care of the ball The Raptors trailed by just four points after three quarters in the previous meeting with Miami before nine fourth-quarter turnovers - they had six in the first 36 minutes - ignited the Heat, who began to pull away. "We didnt take care of the ball," Casey said of that game. "They fuel their offence off of turnovers and that was our Achilles heel against this team the last time we played them." "You should be on high alert the entire time," he continued. "I think teams get fired up to play them, you lose a little focus whether they turn it up or not. I wouldnt say they take possessions off but they know when to turn it on and off and thats a characteristic of a good team. They know what possessions are important and what possessions arent important and believe me, theyre dialled in when they need to be dialled in." Who to Watch For Rudy Gay Immediately after Tuesdays loss to Brooklyn, a game in which he shot 3-of-12 and deferred to Johnson on the deciding possession, Gay went up to the teams practice facility where he spent the evening shooting. "The only thing I could do after that game was just go in and shoot some jump shots, get it off my head and also work on my game," said Gay, who is averaging just 14.7 points on 34 per cent shooting in his last three games. Although the Raptors forward generally gets up for match-ups opposite top tiered wing players and played well against James and the Heat last season, he struggled in defeat earlier this month. Gay was just 3-for-10, scoring 13 points and registered four turnovers - he leads the team with 48 total - in the Nov. 5 loss to Miami. "Ive never questioned Rudys commitment, not at all," Casey said. "Is he shooting the ball the way he wants to? No. But thats what he has to do, is work at that pace. Ive mentioned it to him, youve got to shoot at that fourth-quarter tempo when you work on your game at night time. Youve got to shoot it like its the game winning shot." LeBron James James has been dominant in every facet of the game during Miamis winning streak. Over the last eight games, the four-time MVP is averaging 27.6 points, connecting on 61 per cent of his field goals. Guarded primarily by Gay, James tallied 35 points, eight rebounds and eight assists against the Raptors earlier in November. "We know what LeBron likes to do," Johnson said. "The focal point is going to be on him. We might throw different looks at him, double teams." Injury Report Raptors forward Quincy Acy will be a game-time decision with a sprained right ankle that has kept him out of the last three contests. . The Austrian produced a superb second run to win his third career giant slalom race and fourth overall at Val dIsere. However, Hirscher was disappointed that Ted Ligety did not finish. The American, seeking his fourth straight win in GS, made an uncharacteristic technical error and was among several racers to ski out and failed to qualify for the second run for the first time in nearly five years. . In the Winter Classic they played in front of 105,491 fans, many of whom drove several hours to Michigan Stadium to watch the spectacle amid frigid temperatures. .Y. -- The Ottawa Senators got aggressive in overtime and Jared Cowen made it work.MOOSE JAW, Sask. - Logan Nelson and Jack Walker scored shootout goals and Patrik Polivka made 31 saves through overtime to lift the Victoria Royals over the Moose Jaw Warriors 4-3 in Western Hockey League action on Monday. Joe Hicketts had a goal and an assist, and Austin Carroll and Axel Blomqvist also scored in regulation for Victoria (41-16-4). Travis Brown picked up two assists. Jesse Forsberg scored one goal and assisted on another for Moose Jaw (15-34-9), while Jack Rodewald and Tanner Eberle rounded out the Warriors offence. Brayden Point chipped in with assists on all three goals. Moose Jaw goalie Zach Sawchenko stopped 29 of 32 shots in defeat. --- PATS 4 WHEAT KINGS 0 REGINA — Dyson Stevenson scored two goals and helped on another, and Daniel Wapple made 23 saves as the Pats blanked the Wheat Kings. Morgan Klimchuk had a goal and an assist and Carter Hansen also scored for Regina (31-22-6). Jordan Papirny stopped 35 of 39 shots for Brandon (28-24-8), which is winless in its last six games. The Pats were 1 for 8 on the power play while the Wheat Kings failed to score on five opportunities with the man advantage. --- RAIDERS 3 BRONCOS 1 SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. — Nick McBride made 31 saves and the Raiders scored two power-play goals to edge the Broncos. Graeme Craig and Leon Draisaitl scored with the man advantage and Collin Valcourt added an even-strength goal for Prince Albert (27-28-4). Draisaitl also picked up an assist for a two-point game. Julius Honka scored the lone goal for Swift Current (29-23-88), on a power play in the third period. . Eetu Laurikainen made 24 saves in the losing effort. --- OIL KINGS 12 HURRICANES 0 EDMONTON — Mitchell Moroz scored two goals and assisted on three mote, and Tristan Jarry stopped 25 shots as the Oil Kings dominated the Hurricanes. Henrik Samuelsson had two goals and two assists, Brett Pollock and Curtis Lazar had two goals and one assist apiece, Reid Petryk scored once and assisted on four goals, Edgars Kulda had a goal and an assist, and Ashton Sautner and Mads Eller also scored for Edmonton (41-14-2). Teagan Sacher started in net for Lethbridge (12-44-5), but was pulled after giving up six goals on 20 shots through just under 31 minutes. Jonny Hogue stopped 27 of 33 shots in relief. The Oil Kings outshot the Hurricanes 53-25 and were 6 for 11 on the power play. Lethbridge racked up 58 penalty minutes on 19 infractions. --- HITMEN 7 REBELS 1 CALGARY — Brady Brassart scored a hat trick, and Adam Tambellini had a goal and three assists as the Hitmen toppled the Rebels for their seventh straight win. Joe Mahon scored twice, Greg Chase had a goal and two assists, and Travis Sanheim contributed with five helpers for Calgary (39-15-6), who was 4 for 8 with the man advantage. Mack Shields made 39 saves. Adam Musil scored the lone goal for Red Deer (28-28-4), which has dropped its last two. Patrik Bartosak started in net for the Rebels but left the game after giving up six goals on 39 shots through 56:44. Taz Burman stopped 2 of 3 shots in relief. ' ' '