What started as a series about something big has become something else.
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Starters: advantage Miami Heat, as they are comfortable with their projected starting five.
Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas (17) holds onto his right ankle as his teammates assist during the second half of Game 3 of an NBA second-round playoff basketball series against the Miami Heat, Saturday, May 7, 2016, in Miami. Wade ended up with 35 points in the game overall. Without knowing the grade of the sprain, projecting a return is even more hard – Steph Curry was set to be re-evaluated in two weeks after suffering a Grade 1 MCL sprain, while Marc Gasol and Rudy Gobert suffered Grade II sprains this year and missed a combined 41 games, per Tom Haberstroh.
A new yet-playoff-unproven trio of Tyler Johnson, Dorell Wright and Briante Weber are available should coach Erik Spoelstra choose to use them. “It went as well as could be expected”. “Neither one of us slept much last night”. I originally had this series tied at 2-2 after four games, but the loss of Whiteside provides a major opportunity for the Raptors and I think they’ll be good enough to take it.
The teams will stay in Miami for Monday’s pivotal fourth game at 8:00 p.m.
Valanciunas has been ruled out of the Eastern Conference semifinal against the Miami Heat with a sprained ankle. Other players have missed a month or more with MCL sprains.
Stotts said the average time missed for low grade sprains is about 15 days. The Thunder hope to give their fans their first taste of victory, as do the Toronto Raptors (the Thunder franchise did win a title in Seattle).
The Raptors are about to find out just how big he was. Valanciunas averaged 19.5 ppg and 13 rpg in Games 1 and 2, and before his injury in Game 3, he had posted 16 points and 12 rebounds in 22 minutes.
Specifically against the Heat, the 24-year-old upped his scoring and rebounding to 18.3 points and 12.7 rebounds, respectively. The Heat responded with a layup from backup center Udonis Haslem, followed by a crafty layup from Dwayne Wade.
Whiteside said he had never felt anything like that before in his knee and that his first instinct was that it’s bad.
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According to Miami’s Dwyane Wade, who scored a season high 38 points in Game 3, the change in personnel won’t alter his approach.
