Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra still uncertain of Chris Bosh return – NBA Playoffs Update
The Miami Heat have been without power forward Chris Bosh since game-1 of the Eastern Conference Semi Finals against the Indiana Pacers and he isn’t back yet. Speaking to reporters before game-5 of Miami’s playoffs series against the Boston Celtics, head
coach Erik Spoelstra ruled out giving a return date for Bosh, again.
There had been rumours that the Heat will be looking to bring Bosh back into the team for game-5 after an overtime loss in game-4 meant that the Celtics levelled the series at 2 – 2. Bosh however, who has been out with an abdominal strain, is still listed
day to day and Spoelstra isn’t sure when he will come back.
"It's premature to say he'll definitively play," Spoelstra said. "The reality is that this is not a normal situation. [The situation] is heightened and it is extreme. We have to be judicious in our evaluations."
The Heat do not want to rush a return for Chris and then see him aggravate the injury and be out for an elongated period, probably the rest of the playoffs. That is why they have decided to give Chris as much time as he wants.
They struggled in the All-Star forward’s absence against Indiana Pacers and have now lost two consecutive games to the Boston Celtics. Miami though remain determined to let Chris left as long as he needs, although the Boston Celtics are not taking any risks.
Celtics head coach Doc Rivers claimed that Boston will be preparing for game-5 expecting that Bosh is going to play, as they have done all series long.
"We have [planned for him] every game, so we don't have to do anything different," Rivers said during a conference call on Monday. "We've prepared every game like Bosh is going to play, eventually he will -- it may be tomorrow."
Bosh has been itching to play for long now. The forward has been practicing and travelled with the team to Boston for the two games at the TD Garden. Miami have maintained that Bosh only travelled so that he could train and there was never a chance of him
stepping onto the court.
Erik Spoelstra dismissed the player’s noises in this regard as just enthusiasm.
"He said he was ready 10 days ago," Spoelstra said. "They all say that."
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