NBA Playoffs 2016: Previewing Top Storylines for Game 7 of Raptors vs. Heat

The final spot in the NBA’s conference finals is up for grabs when the Miami Heat visit the Toronto Raptors Sunday for a crucial Game 7 showdown.

Miami staved off Game 6 elimination for the second time this postseason after downing Toronto 103-91 at home Friday. Both teams are 2-1 at home during this series, but can the Raptors win one more in front of their fans, or will the Heat play for the Eastern Conference title for the fifth time in the last six seasons?

Friday’s game was the first in this series not to be decided by single digits, so Game 7 figures to be an exciting and close affair. Let’s take a look at the television schedule and some of Sunday’s top storylines.

Can Toronto Shed Its Playoff Demons?

The Toronto Raptors are a franchise mired in postseason disappointment.

The team won its second playoff series ever by taking down Indiana in the first round, which means Toronto has never advanced past the second round. This ESPN Stats & Info nugget offers a telling explanation:

The Raptors are now 0-7 in franchise history when leading in a playoff series pic.twitter.com/u8r4r6FROB

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 14, 2016

Making matters worse are the struggles of Toronto’s stars DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry.

DeRozan had no issues scoring in the regular season with 23.5 points per game on 44.6 percent shooting, including 33.8 percent on his threes. The touch is fading this postseason as his scoring averages are down to 19.4 points a game with abysmal shooting percentages of 34.9 percent on field goals and 19 percent from three. He is also taking almost three shots more per game in the playoffs. 

Lowry is not faring much better. His scoring averages, 21.2 points per game to 17.4, …

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