Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Richardson’s MRI on foot is negative
LOS ANGELES — Saturday’s hastily scheduled MRI on the left foot of Josh Richardson came back negative, with the diagnosed sprain sidelining the Miami Heat guard for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center and beyond.
“I hurt it a few games ago, but I thought it would heal better, so I just kind of played on it and hoped for the best,” Richardson said before Sunday’s game. “But it kind of started getting worse, so I told them I wanted to get an X-ray and I got an MRI. But they said it was probably just a sprain, so I’ve just got to stay off of it for a little bit.”
Richardson left Saturday’s practice amid ongoing foot pain during recent games.
The MRI was scheduled after a Friday X-ray following the Heat’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers came back negative.
“It was in Boston and I took a weird step and my foot turned over,” Richardson said of the Dec. 30 loss to the Celtics at TD Garden.
He said the recent pain in the four games he played through the injury, “change of direction was tough, that was probably the biggest thing.”
He was not given a timetable for his return.
“They didn’t tell me. I guess whenever it starts feeling better,” he said. “I guess we’ll see how long it takes to heal.”
Richardson had started 11 consecutive games before Sunday’s game against the Clippers, the fourth stop on a five-game trip that continues Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena.
Richardson already had missed the entire preseason and the first four games of the season with a sprained right medial collateral ligament sustained during a pre-camp workout and then six games in early December with a sprained right ankle.
He said the pain level is similar to that ankle sprain, which could have him out for a similar timeframe.
“Crazy. I’ve never been hurt and this year,” he said. “I guess it comes with it. I’ve never played an NBA schedule in its entirety, so I guess this is what comes with it.”
The 2015 second-round pick out of Tennessee played 30 minutes in Friday night’s 127-100 loss to the Lakers, closing with six points on 2-of-6 shooting.
The Heat already are without forward Justise Winslow, who had seasonending shoulder surgery Thursday, as well as Josh McRoberts, who has a stress fracture in his left foot, and forward Chris Bosh, who failed his preseason physical after missing the second half of the past two seasons due to blood clots.
Richardson would have to miss two additional games and then be deemed sidelined for at least two additional weeks by an NBA-appointed physician in order for the Heat to request a 16th roster spot, one above the NBA limit.
Briante’s chance
Point guard Briante Weber, who has thrived with the Heat’s D-League affiliate after being cut at the end of training camp in favor of Rodney McGruder, is scheduled for a tryout today with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Weber is averaging 14.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.0 assists this season with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Because he is not under contract to the Heat, he can be signed by any team, with the NBA’s 10-day contract period opening last Thursday.
“First and foremost, you wish the player the best,” Heat general manager Andy Elisburg said. “You recognize that players who are playing in the development league, they’re doing it to get to the NBA. And the reality is it’s a zerosum game, there’s only 15 spots on a [NBA] roster. So everyone is not going to be able to get to your own team.