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Raptors-Heat Preview

Mar 27, 2010 - 9:04 PM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Toronto (35-36) at Miami (39-34), 6:00 p.m. EDT

As the Miami Heat look to improve their playoff position, the Toronto Raptors hope to simply hang on to their postseason spot.

Likely to be without injured center Jermaine O'Neal, the Heat try to match a season high with their fifth consecutive victory and hand the visiting Raptors a third straight loss Sunday.

Miami (39-34) is sixth in the Eastern Conference, but moved within a game of fifth-place Milwaukee after an 87-74 road win over the Bucks on Friday.

Dwyane Wade had 30 points with seven rebounds and seven assists as the Heat overcame the loss of O'Neal, who hyperextended his knee right knee in the first quarter. The team's third-leading scorer (13.8 points per game) who also averages 7.1 rebounds, O'Neal is being re-evaluated in Miami and could miss this contest against his former team.

"When we throw it down to J.O. in the post he kind of settles things a little bit," Wade said. "He's been playing well for us, especially of late. (But) we've played without him before."

Miami still has Wade, averaging 27.8 points, 8.1 assists and shooting 49.2 percent during a stretch where the Heat have won 10 of 13.

"This time of the year, you can go out there and score 50 and your scoring average will only move up a tenth of a point; it don't matter right now," Wade said. "I'm just trying to be a complete player, do what I can to help the team win and get the highest seed possible."

Miami could do that by evening the season series with Toronto (35-36), which is trying to hold off Chicago for the final playoff spot in the East. The Raptors, three games behind Miami, won both home meetings against the Heat this season, but had their three-game winning streak at Miami snapped with a 115-95 loss Dec. 15.

Wade had 35 points and 10 assists in the teams' latest meeting, a 111-103 Toronto win Jan. 27. He's averaging 33.2 points in his last five games against the Raptors.

Toronto All-Star Chris Bosh, averaging 27.0 points and 10.7 rebounds against Miami this season, had 18 with 12 boards in the Raptors' 97-96 home loss to Denver on Friday.

Two days after the Raptors were blown out 113-87 by Utah, Denver's Carmelo Anthony hit an 18-footer at the buzzer to hand Toronto its 12th loss in 16 games.

"We just have to put this behind us and move on to the next game," Bosh said.

This contest begins an important two-game trip for the Raptors, who visit seventh-place Charlotte on Monday. The Bobcats are 2 1/2 games ahead of the Raptors.

"It just goes to show we're gonna have to give (a strong) effort every night, from here until the season is over," Bosh said. "If we do that, I think we'll be in a better position for success later."

The Raptors are 12-23 on the road, but have won two in a row away from home.