The Miami Heat enter their Game 5 playoff road matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night facing tall odds to make a comeback from a 3-1 deficit. Accomplishing that feat may be even tougher after the Heat’s Josh Richardson missed Monday’s practice due to a shoulder sprain and is ruled questionable to play in the game.
https://twitter.com/miamiheat/status/988472178613080065?s=21
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Josh Richardson (left shoulder sprain) did not practice today and is questionable for Game 5.
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) April 23, 2018
Richardson injured his left shoulder during Saturday afternoon’s loss to the Sixers after a second-quarter collision connected to a loose ball scramble with Sixers center Joel Embiid. In the aftermath of the injury, a scuffle on the other end of the court between Miami’s James Johnson and Philadelphia’s Robert Covington broke out, with each player being assessed a technical foul.
In Saturday’s game, Richardson played 35 minutes in the contest, scoring 10 points, collecting seven steals, handing out seven assists and grabbing five rebounds. Losing those numbers for a crucial matchup would deliver another blow to the Heat and perhaps bring an end to their season.
There’s currently no indication when a decision will be made on Richardson’s status, though after the Tuesday morning shootaround or during pregame warmups are the most likely times.
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