With the Miami Heat locked into a heated battle to reach the playoffs, the absence of Josh Richardson could be an issue down the stretch. Unfortunately Heat head coach Erik Spolestra offered no timetable as to when Richardson might be able to return from his injury.
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Richardson’s bruised left heel forced him to miss Thursday night’s win against Dallas and as a result of the injury, he didn’t travel with the Heat for their two-game road trip. Prior to his heel issue surfacing, he had averaged 14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists over his previous 15 contests.
The Heat will face the New York Knicks on Saturday night, followed by a Monday night clash against the Boston Celtics. Once those games are completed, the Heat will have only five games remaining in their regular season.
The Heat are clinging to a half game lead over Orlando for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Indicative of how tight this playoff fight is, the Heat are also within one game of the sixth playoff spot, currently held by Detroit.
The chief beneficiary of Richardson’s absence figures to be veteran Goran Dragic, who’s been coming off the bench since returning from his own injury. In Richardson’s absence, he delivered a triple-double performance on Thursday that helped the Heat pick up a crucial 105-99 comeback victory.
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