TORONTO, April 15 (UPI) -- Rasual Butler scored the go-ahead basket and hit two key free throws Tuesday night as the Miami Heat edged the Toronto Raptors, 103-99, and swept their season series.
Toronto, which dressed the league-minimum eight players and used only seven, outplayed Miami for much of the contest and held a 77-69 lead entering the fourth quarter, but the Raptors could not hold off the deeper Heat, who took the lead for good, 98-96, on a jumper by Butler with 1:53 left.
After Morris Peterson got Toronto within 101-99 on a layup and free throw with 11 seconds left, Butler capped the scoring with a pair of free throws one second later.
Butler, a rookie, scored 19 points and Mike James added 15 for the 25-57 Heat, who swept Toronto for the third time in six seasons.
"I got fouled, and I had to hit the shots for us to win," Butler said. "It was still a close game so I had to concentrate. They were big shots. We leave on a high note, and hopefully we can carry it to the summer and into next year."
Pat Riley, the second-winningest coach in NBA history, will miss the postseason for a second straight season after making the playoffs in his first 19 years.
"It feels like we finished on a high note," Riley said. "Why not? We got a 'W,' and some of the guys felt pretty good about it, so I'm happy for them."
Butler, a rookie, scored 19 points, and Mike James added 15 for the 25-57 Heat, who swept Toronto for the third time in six seasons.
Peterson scored a career-high 33 points, Rafer Alston added 19 and Jerome Williams 10 with 17 rebounds for the Raptors, who lost their seventh straight game.
Afterwards, Toronto General Manager Glen Grunwald, during a mixture of cheers, jeers, and boos, expressed his displeasure with the Raptors' season.
"All of us in the Raptors organization, from the players, coaches, managers, and ownership share in your disappointment," Grunwald told the sparse crowd. "We will not stand for this any longer. We've come a long way from our expansion days, and we need you to stay with us."
Toronto, which concludes its season at league-worst Cleveland on Wednesday, ensured itself at best a tie for third-last in the league.
It has been widely rumored that Coach Lenny Wilkens, who also was booed, will be fired at season's end.
