During the third quarter of Wednesday night’s loss to the Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat big man Hassan Whiteside exited the game after being in some obvious pain. When he returned in the fourth, he didn’t have the same spark that he had earlier in the game.
[xyz-ihs snippet=”HN-300×250-Image”]
“My hip was bothering me a lot,” Whiteside said after the game. “But I’m not going to use that as an excuse.”
The Heat center started off the game with a bang, posting 10 points and four rebounds in the first quarter. He had 12 points and 10 rebounds by halftime.
However, he clearly wasn’t 100 percent in the second half. After a quiet third quarter that ended with the early exit, Toronto utilized Greg Monroe in the fourth to shut Whiteside down in the post. After his strong start, the Heat big man finished the game with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks.
The hope is that Whiteside’s new hip issue is nothing serious, but it will certainly be something to keep an eye on over the next few days.
The Heat are back in action on Friday night when the Cleveland Cavaliers come to town.
[xyz-ihs snippet=”HN-300×250-TextnImage”]