The Raptors were in trouble Thursday night, until a late run led by Jonas Valanciunas saved them.
Toronto rallied for a 96-92 overtime victory over the Heat at Air Canada Centre. The win evened the second-round Eastern Conference semifinal series at a game apiece.
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The Raptors, down 80-74 with 4:15 remaining, went on a 10-0 run, with Valanciunas scoring six of his 15 points in the final minutes.
A Dwyane Wade 3-pointer with 38 seconds to go in regulation brought the Heat within one, but Kyle Lowry answered with a long jumper to give the Raptors an 86-83 advantage with 14.9 seconds remaining.
Goran Dragic sent the game to overtime with another Heat trey with 10 seconds remaining. Lowry walked the ball upcourt on the ensuing possession, but his 3-point attempt at the horn fell short. Lowry finished with 18 points, while DeMarre Carroll led all scorers with 21.
Valanciunas and DeMar DeRozan scored the first four points of overtime for the Raptors.
"We decided to be the more physical team in overtime," Lowry told ESPN following the game. "I know I didn't make as many shots, but I took the shots I normally take. The next game, they're for sure going to fall.
"It was definitely a must-win. It's an even series."
The game included an ugly collision between DeRozan and Dragic, who took an elbow to the face and needed eight stitches in his lip. Dragic, who had a team-high 20 points, was called for a blocking foul on the play.
The Raptors avoided an 0-2 hole before the series moves to Miami on Saturday for Game 3.
Stud of the Night
Not only was Valanciunas clutch down the stretch, he added 12 rebounds, two assists, three steals and a blocked shot to go with his 15 points.
Dud of the Night
Joe Johnson had a big third quarter and finished with 17 points, but missed his final eight shots of the game. He was just 8-of-22 from the floor, including all six of his 3-point attempts.
Tweet of the Night
Miami's Gerald Green drove the baseline for a nearly impossible fourth-quarter layup.
Gerald Green getting fancy https://t.co/oefTRimWHk
— rob (@R0BaTO) May 6, 2016
Looking ahead
Spurs at Thunder, Game 3, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN (Series tied 1-1): The Thunder rebounded from a blowout loss in Game 1 to upend the Spurs in San Antonio in Game 2. The Spurs were nearly unbeatable at home this season, but now the series shifts north to Oklahoma City, where the Thunder won both regular-season games against the Spurs.
In Friday's other game, the Cavaliers take their 2-0 series lead to Atlanta for Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.