Stifling the Heat big deal

It will be difficult to match the intensity, excitement and raw emotion that came pouring out of the Air Canada Centre stands in the dramatic final seconds of the Raptors' upset win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

Chris Bosh, however, expects the same thing Wednesday night for a game against the Miami Heat.

Because that game holds far more significance in the Eastern Conference standings than the once-a-season visit from the Lakers did.

"It's really going to be fun," Bosh said. "We're playing well at home, Miami's playing well. Any time Dwyane Wade is here a lot of Dwyane fans come out and there's a lot of hype behind the game.

"The significance of the game (Wednesday) is going to make it a very intense environment, and that's the best basketball to play."

The significance isn't lost on anyone connected with the Raptors.

With a 23-22 record, they trail the Heat by just half a game in the race for fifth place in the conference, and win Wednesday vaults them past Miami.

And in the broader picture, a win gives Toronto no worse than a season split of the four-game series with the Heat, and head-to-head results are the first tiebreaker should the teams finish with identical records.

"It's got a little bit more value than maybe even the Laker game," said Raptors coach Jay Triano.

There is a strong likelihood the Raptors will go into the game missing at least one starter.

Rookie shooting guard DeMar DeRozan limped out of practice on Tuesday on what team officials said was a sprained right ankle. He had come down on the foot of teammate Hedo Turkoglu during a drill and was scheduled to see team doctors later Tuesday.

There was no suggestion it was a long-term issue – Bosh hoped DeRozan might be able to play Wednesday – but since the rookie also tweaked his left ankle during Sunday's game with the Lakers, chances of him playing Wednesday have to be considered slim.

"I said, `Hey DeMar, the best thing is you have to look at things positively. If you're going to have two ankle sprains, might as well have them at the same time, get them out of the way,'" said Triano.

The coach said he hadn't thought about a possible starter in place of DeRozan who, with Bosh, are the only two Toronto players to have started each of the team's 45 games.

Antoine Wright, who the Raptors consider their top perimeter defender, is the most likely fill-in to help try to corral Wade, but Triano also suggested Sonny Weems could see some playing time.

Aside from worrying about Wade, the Raptors will pay much closer attention to Miami's Michael Beasley, who torched them for 28 points in a 115-95 Heat victory in mid-December.

"He's definitely playing better now and we have to make sure we're aware of where he is all the time," Triano said.

"He's a guy who can score, rebound. Dwyane is the focal point but (Beasley's) a very, very good second option for them."