The string of injuries that had plagued the Miami Heat during the first few months of the season have recently subsided, with the pending return of Josh Richardson the most recent bit of good news on that front. The guard is expected to be back in uniform for the team’s Feb. 24 road contest against the Atlanta Hawks.
That barrage of injuries had resulted in the Heat invoking a rarely-used roster exception. The rules behind that exception explain why Richardson won’t be available for the team’s Wednesday night road game against the Houston Rockets, which will be the team’s final contest before the All-Star break.
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By rule, Josh Richardson cannot play Wednesday in Houston since Heat utilized roster exception based on being out additional two weeks.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) February 14, 2017
Spoelstra says Richardson will be ready for first game after all star break. Not allowed to play Wednesday per NBA rule.
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) February 14, 2017
The 23-year-old Richardson has been dealing with a left foot sprain for the past five weeks, with ankle and knee troubles also keeping him out of games earlier in the year. In his second season with Miami, he’s seen action in 28 games and is averaging 11.2 points, 3.3. rebounds and 2.8 assists.
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