In the closing moments of Game 6 Friday night, Heat guard Josh Richardson appeared to suffer a painful shoulder injury. Notice how Richardson grimaced with pain on the hardwood while the play continued on:
D-Wade refused to go home tonight! Clutch block on Kemba Walker.#Heathttps://t.co/MZLJ8J8cuu
— NBA On Def Pen (@NBAOnDefPen) April 30, 2016
With Heat fans holding their breath knowing the team’s top three point shooter may be lost, Richardson quickly settled them down after the game:
Josh Richardson told me nothing is keeping him out of Game 7. Has ice on left shoulder #Heat
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) April 30, 2016
With the season on the line, Josh Richardson will attempt to play through the pain this Sunday in Game 7.
Josh Richardson was taken #40 overall by the Miami Heat in last June’s NBA Draft. Richardson, a University of Tennessee product, was picked 30 spots behind the Heat’s other coveted rookie, Justise Winslow. Surprisingly, both Richardson and Winslow have become extremely valuable pieces to this Heat team in its mission of winning the NBA Championship this year.
Throughout the first six games of the Heat vs. Hornets series, Winslow has averaged 24.4 minutes per game, with Richardson managing to average nearly 31 minutes per game. These players are rookies, keep in mind.
On a bench severely struggling due to injury, both rookies are desperately needed, especially for a Game 7. Richardson has averaged 7 points and 2 assists while shooting 36% from deep in six games against the Hornets this series. His stellar defense is what’s mostly coveted, especially when Charlotte opts to play Kemba Walker.
Josh Richardson underwent an MRI on his injured shoulder this morning. The Heat are waiting for the MRI results to return, but still plan on leaving the decision of playing in Richardson’s hands.
Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo! Sports reports the following on Richardson’s MRI.
Sources: Miami rookie Josh Richardson's MRI came back negative, no dislocation or tear. He'll be a game-time decision for Game 7.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 30, 2016
The choice will be his, and from what it sounds like, the choice isn’t very difficult. Expect Josh Richardson to play when the Hornets visit Miami for a Game 7 showdown this Sunday, 1:00 EST on ABC.
