Young out, Capela uncertain vs. Heat
The Miami Heat will find themselves against a debilitated Atlanta Hawks roster in Friday night’s playoffseeding road showdown at State Farm Arena.
The Hawks, a game ahead of the Heat for the No. 5 in the Eastern Conference, confirmed Thursday that guard Trae Young will be out after spraining his left ankle during the third quarter of the Atlanta’s overtime loss Wednesday night to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Initial X-rays came back negative, with an MRI then conducted Thursday.
Also listed as out for the Hawks are De’andre Hunter (right knee soreness), Cam Reddish (right Achilles soreness) and Kris Dunn (right ankle surgery).
Downgraded to questionable was center Clint Capela, due to a back contusion. Capela has averaged 19.8 points, 19.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 35.2 minutes on .646 shooting in his last six games.
Upgraded for the Hawks were Danilo Gallinari, who is questionable with right foot soreness, and Tony Snell, who is doubtful with a sprained right ankle. Both have been out for the Hawks.
“It’s just, unfortunately for us, we’ve just had a number of injuries throughout this season, and going down the stretch with 12, 13 games remaining, we need bodies,” Hawks coach Nate Mcmillan said. “We’re really limited with the bodies that we have. I think these guys are giving us all that they have. You’re playing a very tight schedule where games are every other day. So it’s a challenge for us. But a lot of other teams are having to deal with this.
“It’s part of adjusting, adapting to what you have, who’s healthy, who’s ready to go. And I think our trainers are doing the best they can to try to get the guys healthy and back out on the floor.”
Young largely was held in check by a trapping and double-teaming Heat defensive approach in the teams’ first two meetings, closing with 15 points on 3-of-14 shooting in the Heat’s 109-99 victory Feb. 28 at Americanairlines Arena, and then 18 points on 5-of12 shooting in the Hawks’ 94-80 victory two nights later on the Heat’s court.
Young exited Wednesday’s loss 15th in the NBA in scoring at 24.4 points per game.
“This is really a tough time to have injuries, but it’s what we have to deal with,” Mcmillan said. “We have to get some rest, heal up and get ourselves ready for Miami.”