The Heat are trying not to focus on being shorthanded as they look for a way to upset the top-seeded Celtics, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. An already difficult task is being made even harder by the absence of starters Jimmy Butler, who sprained his MCL during a play-in game, and Terry Rozier, who has been sidelined with neck issues. In addition, Duncan Robinson has been limited by a lingering back injury he suffered late in the season.
“We have our guys, we have enough to get the job done,” coach Erik Spoelstra insisted after a 20-point loss in Game 3. “We understand the challenge and that’s what our competitors love about this series. We know we have to play hard and we also have to play well.”
Butler and Rozier have already been ruled out for tonight’s Game 4. Spoelstra told reporters on Sunday that Rozier is considered “day to day,” but no timetable has been set for his return. Butler was projected to miss “several weeks” after getting hurt on April 17, but he sounded optimistic in an interview with TNT’s Chris Haynes during Saturday’s game.
“I don’t know about a timeline, but we’ve been working,” Butler said. “I want to hoop. I want to get out here. I want some of this.”
There’s more from Miami:
- Spoelstra appears to be pivoting away from Kevin Love, who is facing a bad matchup against Boston, Chiang adds. The veteran big man, who was limited to one four-minute stretch in Game 3, is minus-24 in his 23 minutes of action in the series. “I was looking for a spark once we were down 20,” Spoelstra said in explaining the decision to bench Love. “This is not an indictment on anybody. Things move fast in a playoff series.”
- Caleb Martin plans to “just be assertive and not be passive” tonight after he followed a 21-point Game 2 with five points on four shots in Game 3, Chiang states in a separate story. Martin, who starred against Boston in last year’s conference finals, said he needs to look to score more often. “I think there were sometimes I passed up shots,” he said. “I felt like I was trying to get the ball moving a little bit more, being a little bit less aggressive in letting it go. So that’s on me. I can’t be as passive. I got to let the ball go.”
- Delon Wright, who missed Game 3 for the birth of a baby girl, has returned to the team and will be on the active roster tonight, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
Celtics should close this series 4-1.
Miami have a good team but they just not good enough, especially without Butler and Rozier. If the Celts are real contenders, they need to close it and not take it for granted.
Nice statement of the obvious.
Thankfully, Delon should be back for game 4 after he had a kid in game 3 (although, since it was a home game, I wonder how it wasn’t something that could have been accommodated considering the situation). Delon is super important in general, but especially this matchup, and he played really well in the first 2 games, shooting 63%, and being 3rd in the NBA in box plus minus, behind Jokic and Embiid
I haven’t been a fan of the Heats rotation so far, and would like to see 1 of a few different options, including replacing Jovic in the starting lineup with Delon, or highsmith, and also using Jovic at smallball 5 off the bench, instead of Love, depending on matchup
Not having Jimmy, Richardson, Kyle, Dru Smith, Jamal cain, and Duncan and caleb playing through injury obviously makes this tough, with all those guys being important in the matchup. Not having Delon, in addition to those guys was rough in game 3. Hope for a better outcome in game 4, without dealing with Scott Foster officiating Celtics were 12-0 with him before saturday
Sorry kid. You gonna have to go back inside you gotta wait until this game is over. Ma being in labor and you coming into the world just ain’t convenient right now.
That’s not what I’m inferring, but whatever. These types of things matter more nowadays than they did 5-75 years ago, so I get it; I’m simply pointing out it’s one of the most important games of Delon’s life, considering he is also a FA after the season, but if there wasn’t anything that could be done, it is what it is, and hopefully he contributes to making up for it tonight
What kind of accommodations are you talking about? Moving the game? I don’t think they could even push the start time if they wanted to.
I feel like way too much is going into that part of the comment, since I said I get it, but I was insinuating maybe there was some way he could have done both; the Heat are known to have a guy take the full time away, though, to not have to worry about extra things on their mind. There have been many instances of players doing both, even with travel involved; this was at home
I still do not follow you but whatever game’s over moving on
Thinking to much won’t changed the fact it’s over.
What happened to Very Barry who predicted Miami and Philly?
Like…he really did.
As our buddy Sillivan would say.
Miami-Butler = Win one for Jimmy
102 = Too many points for Miami’s offense.
Very Barry = Play-in Klay Thompson
In fairness, he probably didn’t know about Delon Wright’s situation.
Ok, that made me laugh.