Raptors' Jonas Valanciunas: 'Nowhere close' to return

Coach Dwane Casey said Friday that Valanciunas (ankle) is "nowhere close to being ready to play" and will remain out for Sunday's Game 7 tilt with the Heat, Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald reports.

Valanciunas was already ruled out for the entire second round after spraining his right ankle in Game 3, and Casey's foreboding comments on the center's injury suggest he might be at risk of missing at least part of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cavaliers should the Raptors vanquish the Heat. Casey has started Bismack Biyombo at center for the past three games, and should continue to lean heavily on the energetic, yet offensively limited big man until Valanciunas is cleared to return.