Heat lose Josh Richardson as the fight for the playoffs intensifies
If the Miami Heat are going to make a last-second push and get into the playoffs, they’ll have to do it without one of the team’s breakout performers. Josh Richardson is expected to miss two weeks due to a groin injury, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The move comes as a big blow to the Heat, who sit just a half game out of the playoffs — and a full game out of the sixth seed — as the regular season comes to a close.
The 25-year-old Richardson has taken a big step forward this season. He’s averaging a career high 16.6 points and 4.1 assists per game. He’s also seeing a career high in minutes per game for the Heat.
With Richardson sidelined, the Heat will need to rely even more on Dwyane Wade to carry them to a postseason spot. The 37-year-old Wade has averaged 14.5 points in his final season. Wade has announced he’ll retire at the end of the season.
Even if Wade can get the Heat to the postseason, they might not stay in the hunt for long. Richardson would likely miss the team’s first series due to the injury. Given that the Heat can’t get any higher than the sixth seed, they’ll be an underdog no matter what team they play in round one.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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