The Miami Heat still has LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, but it will have to survive for the rest of this playoff round against Indiana without Chris Bosh. In a major setback that could end up jeopardizing Miami’s title run, the Heat found out that Bosh, the least important member of its vaunted Big Three but still its best big man, will be sidelined indefinitely due to a strained abdominal muscle. Bosh said he is likely to miss the remainder of the conference semifinals, which Miami leads 1-0. Game 2 is Tuesday in Miami. “It’s not the worst thing that could happen,” he said after practice on Monday. “We’ll see how my body responds, but the season has to be extended for me to play again.” Added LeBron James, who is expected to get some time now at power forward: “It’s going to be a challenge for us. We’re missing the biggest part of our team, probably the biggest part of our team.” An MRI revealed that there was no tear, which had been originally feared when Bosh went down late in the first half Sunday after a dunk, when Roy Hibbert’s foul sent him to the floor. “We thought it could be a lot worse,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who wouldn’t reveal his new starting lineup. Earlier this season, the Spurs’ Manu Ginobili had to miss two weeks due to a similar injury. If Bosh is sidelined for any extended period, the Heat’s thin ranks at center and power forward could prevent it from getting back to the Finals, especially if it ends up having to play Boston in the Eastern Conference finals. Bosh joins several notable players who have suffered major injuries this postseason. The Bulls lost superstar Derrick Rose and center Joakim Noah during their first-round loss to the Sixers, while Iman Shumpert and Baron Davis went down to season-ending knee injuries in the Knicks’ first-round series loss to Miami.
~DailyNews
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