Before we freak out any further, let’s just get this out of the way: coach Dwane Casey says OG Anunoby will try to play tonight. He confirmed the young small forward is not 100 percent, but he’s going to give it ago. Feel the relief wash over you.
With two games before the All-Star break we thought the Raptors might err on the side of caution, re: Anunoby, but it appears with the Miami Heat in town tonight: all hands on deck. That’s understandable considering the team’s reputation — some talented players (e.g. Goran Dragic, Hassan Whiteside, the prodigal son Dwyane Wade), a very sharp coach in Erik Spoelstra, and a relentlessly disciplined play style. The Heat are not a team to be taken lightly.
That said, they’ve been kind of bad lately, haven’t they?
The Heat are 3-7 in their last ten, and have tumbled all the way down to eighth place, locked in a death struggle with the Sixers (and the revamped Detroit Pistons). It wasn’t so long ago it felt like Miami might seize the three-seed from an imploding Cavaliers team. Life comes at you fast, is my point.
The Raptors meanwhile remain, as always, fun and good. They’ve won five in a row in extremely convincing fashion. Will they make it six? Let’s watch!
Here’s the preview from Sully Akbari for Raptors-Heat.
And here are tonight’s updated game details:
Where to Watch:
Sportsnet One, 7:00 p.m. ET
Lineups:
Toronto - Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, C.J. Miles, Serge Ibaka, Jonas Valanciunas
Miami – Goran Dragic, Tyler Johnson, Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow, Hassan Whiteside
Injuries:
Toronto – none
Dwane Casey confirms that OG Anunoby will play tonight vs. the Heat.
— Daniel Reynolds (@aka_Reynolds) February 13, 2018
Miami – Dion Waiters, Kelly Olynyk, Rodney McGruder, Udonis Haslem (maybe?)