UPDATE: Charlotte coach Steve Clifford told reporters that Nicolas Batum will indeed play on Wednesday, and he will likely come off the bench, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
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With their best-of-7 series against the Miami Heat tied up at two games apiece, the Charlotte Hornets could be getting a boost with the return of Nicolas Batum in Game 5 on Wednesday. Batum injured his ankle in Game 2 and was rumored to miss the rest of the series. However, after going through shootaround on Wednesday, Hornets head coach Steve Clifford said his starting two guard is likely to play in Game 5.
The Hornets have played well without Batum, tying the series up by winning Game 3 and 4 in Charlotte. Clifford opted to start a big lineup with Al Jefferson and rookie Frank Kaminsky which has worked wonders for the Hornets and has been tough for the Heat to deal with. Not wanting to mess with the starting lineup's chemistry, Batum spoke to reporters and said that he feels good, and if he does play, he told Clifford he wants to come off the bench.
Batum says he asked to come off the bench tonight if he plays.
— Justin Verrier (@JustinVerrier) April 27, 2016
Batum is one of Charlotte's better 3-point shooters and an excellent playmaker. If Batum is able to play, he should give the Hornets some extra momentum as they won the last two games of the series and now look to go up 3-2 in Miami on Wednesday.
