Raptors' DeMarre Carroll questionable for Game 6, but plans to play
Toronto forward DeMarre Carroll is set on suiting up in Game 6 against Miami.
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TORONTO -- DeMarre Carroll is listed as questionable for Game 6 against the Miami Heat, but don't tell him that. The Toronto Raptors forward had to follow the end of Game 5 on his phone on Wednesday due to a left wrist contusion, and he does not plan to miss any more time.
"If it ain't broke, with me, I'm ready to play," Carroll said Thursday.
Carroll suffered the injury late in the third quarter when he landed awkwardly on a fast break. He then had an X-ray and MRI, which both came back negative. Carroll missed 56 games during the regular season because of knee and foot issues, and he injured his knee in last year's playoffs when he was a member of the Atlanta Hawks.
"Initially I thought I broke it 'cause my whole wrist went numb," Carroll said. "'Here we go again.' But I tried to stay positive. I got to the back, stayed positive and eventually after a couple minutes, the numbness in my wrist just kind of went away. It was sore. But once I got the MRI, I actually looked at my phone and we were only up by one and that really made me mad."
Without Carroll, Toronto hung on for a 99-91 win, taking a 3-2 lead against the Heat. On Friday in Miami, the Raptors have a chance to advance to the conference finals for the first time in franchise history. If they do, then Carroll's job will be defending Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James.
Toronto coach Dwane Casey said that he initially thought Carroll injured his knee when he fell. "That was scary," Casey said, adding that he hopes Carroll will be available and in the starting lineup, but it's too early to know. Carroll said he's doing treatment "all day and all night" with director of sports science Alex McKechnie.
"I will have a lot of say," Carroll said. "Let's put it that way. I talked to my so-called dad, Alex McKechnie, and let's see what happens, man. He said, 'Let's take it day by day.' Me being who I am, I'm pretty sure I'ma fight him to play."
Carroll has spent time guarding Dwyane Wade and Joe Johnson in this series, and he's played both small forward and power forward. If he cannot play, rookie Norman Powell would presumably replace him in the starting lineup, but it's possible that James Johnson could be back in the rotation as well.
"All guys are in play," Casey said.
Carroll is is not only the Raptors' best perimeter defender, but with Hassan Whiteside sidelined, he has been able to switch onto any Heat big man without a problem. In Games 2 and 4, he gave Toronto an offensive boost, too. If the Raptors are going to close out this series, it would help to have him as close to 100 percent as possible.
"It's all about how I can tolerate my pain, but I'm [not] the junkyard dog for nothing, right?" Carroll said. "So we'll see what happens."
