Hassan Whiteside to rest knee, won't travel with Heat to Toronto for Game 5
The Heat star remains out with a sprained MCL and his timetable for return remains unknown as the Heat battle to stay alive vs. the Raptors.
By
Matt Moore
•
1 min read
Erik Spoelstra told reporters Tuesday that Heat center Hassan Whiteside will not travel to Toronto for Game 5 against the Raptors, opting instead to recuperate in Miami.
Spo says Whiteside is not going to travel to Toronto. Will stay home for therapy and rest.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) May 10, 2016
Whiteside suffered a sprained MCL early in Game 3 and there's been no indication of a timeline for his return, though several reports have indicated he will miss at least the rest of the semifinals. The injury is the same that Stephen Curry suffered which took just over two weeks to return from. The Heat may not have that kind of time as they're in desperate need for Whiteside's rim protection and ability to finish inside the Raptors.
However, with Jonas Valanciunas also out, the Heat were able to take Game 4 in overtime to even their best-of-7 series at two games apiece. The Heat can't afford to worry about whether Whiteside will return in the conference finals; they have to stay focused on taking two out of three from the Raptors, with two games north of the border if necessary. For now, though, you can go ahead and count Whiteside out for Game 5 as he continues his rehab from the sprain.
