Raptors take 3-2 series lead over Heat; Warriors eliminate Trail Blazers

DeMar DeRozan matched a playoff high with 34 points, Kyle Lowry had 25 and the Toronto Raptors beat the Miami Heat, 99-91, on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series.

Bismack Biyombo had 10 points for the Raptors, who can clinch their first conference finals berth with a win in Game 6 in Miami on Friday.

It was DeRozan’s franchise-best 13th 20-point game in the playoffs and his sixth this postseason.

Dwyane Wade scored 20 for Miami, Goran Dragic and Josh Richardson each had 13 and Joe Johnson 11.

Toronto led by 20 in the first half and by 13 to start the fourth quarter before its lead shrunk to 88-87 when Wade made a pair of free throws with 1:54 left. DeRozan made a pair of free throws and, after a Miami turnover, Lowry made a long three-point shot to put Toronto up 93-87 with 52 seconds left.

DeRozan sealed it by going four for four on his free throws in the final 21 seconds.

DeRozan jammed his sore right thumb while fouling Miami’s Tyler Johnson with 8:19 remaining in the fourth. He headed to the locker room for treatment but returned four minutes later.

Lowry and DeRozan, who combined for 19 total points in Toronto’s overtime loss in Game 4, scored 19 between them in the first quarter as the Raptors raced out to a 28-18 lead. Wade was the only Miami starter to make a field goal in the first as the Heat had more fouls (eight) than made baskets (six).

Biyombo had eight points in the second, electrifying the crowd by sandwiching a pair of dunks around a huge block on Wade. Toronto led 55-35 with 3:39 left but Dragic scored eight points as the Heat used a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to 55-45 at halftime.

Miami’s Luol Deng left midway through the third with a sore left wrist and did not return. The Heat said X-rays were inconclusive. Deng scored four points and missed all eight of his shots.

Shortly after, Toronto’s DeMarre Carroll injured his left wrist after being called for a charge, ending his night. Carroll went down in pain after the play before getting up and walking to the locker room while cradling his wrist. The Raptors said X-rays were negative.

Wade scored seven in the third but DeRozan had 11 as the Raptors took a 75-62 lead into the fourth.

at Golden State 125, Portland 121: Klay Thompson led a third-quarter surge with 16 of his 33 points, and the Warriors bounced back from an early deficit to eliminate the Trail Blazers in five games and reach the Western Conference finals.

The Warriors, who shot 51.2%, now await the winner of the Oklahoma City-San Antonio series, with the Thunder holding a 3-2 lead.

After receiving his most-valuable-player trophy before the game, Stephen Curry did his usual magic, scoring 29 points on an assortment of shots, including a couple of three-pointers off behind-the-back dribbles.

Thompson made 13 of 17 overall and six of nine on three-pointers.

The Trail Blazers, who had a 49-38 lead in the middle of the second quarter, were led by guards Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, with 29 and 28 points, respectively.