Bandaged and bruised, Heat stumble back to brink of playoff elimination

1:40 AM ET

TORONTO — Forget advanced metrics and analytics.

At this point, it’s clear that MRIs and X-ray machines that will ultimately determine whether it’s the Toronto Raptors or the Miami Heat that will survive and advance to face Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals next week. Training rooms have been converted into makeshifts triages.

“Both teams are losing guys left and right, but you won’t find us making excuses,” said Heat co-captain Udonis Haslem, who technically was one of the healthier players to emerge from the wreckage that was Game 5 Wednesday. “Everybody’s dealing with something. We’re fighting for our season.”

That’s especially the case now for Miami for the second time this postseason. The Heat return home down 3-2 and facing elimination entering Game 6 on Friday after falling 99-91 on Wednesday to the Raptors, who are a win away from making the conference finals for the first time in their 21-year history.

Luol Deng, left, became the latest Heat player to be sidelined after injuring his wrist on Wednesday. Dave Sandford/NBAE via Getty Images

The only problem is finding enough capable bodies to play. The Heat rallied from a 3-2 series deficit in the first round against Charlotte after getting a huge fourth-quarter performance from Dwyane Wade in the Game 6 victory on the road and then a breakout effort from Goran Dragic to win Game 7 at home. If nothing else, Miami has a chance to make history by becoming the first NBA team to battle back twice in the same postseason from a 3-2 deficit to advance in the playoffs.

The Heat have been a defiant and resilient team all season. They might now have to overcome being overwhelmingly depleted going into Friday’s season-salvaging game. Already without perennial All-Star forward Chris Bosh since February to a season-ending medical condition, Miami …

continue reading in source espn.go.com