Johnson expects to be out days, not weeks
MILWAUKEE — Tyler Johnson does not know the pain associated with a knee injury. So, when Bulls center Robin Lopez landed on the back of Johnson’s left leg during the second half of Monday’s game and he felt something in his knee, he was very worried.
“Initially, it felt like my knee popped,” Tyler said after watching his Heat teammates go through their shootaround in preparation for Wednesday’s game against the Bucks. “That’s why when I went down, I started grabbing at my knee, and that was what was more worrisome than anything else.
“I’ve never had a bad knee injury, so I didn’t know what it felt like. I was just thankful once I got to the back and my adrenaline kind of went down, the pain in my knee wasn’t anything I really ever felt before.”
Johnson, who was in good spirits, said the swelling is in his left ankle and Achilles. He called it a strain. He is in a walking boot, and no timetable has been given for his return. He had an X-ray immediately following the injury and no MRI was taken.
“It’s just a weird spot,” he said. “We’ll see. Once we get all the swelling out, I think we’ll have more of an idea of the timetable.”
Johnson was asked if he thought it would be days or weeks.
“I don’t think it’s going to be weeks.” he said. “When I walk on it, it just gets really sore after. (But) the fact that I’m able to at least put a little pressure on it, that’s a good sign.”
Derrick Walton Jr. rejoined the Heat on Wednesday in a search for reinforcements. Walton, like Derrick Jones Jr., is on a two-way contract, which limits them to 45 days in the NBA. Walton has 11 days remaining and Jones 14.
Differring views: The Heat had won 14 of 19 games entering Wednesday to climb to No. 4 in the Eastern Conference and into the thick of the playoff race.
ut just how comfortable should Heat fans be with the pros-
Bpects of their team playing into late April and possibly early May?
That depends on who you are listening to.
Coach Erik Spoelstra’s team is receiving a lot of love from some about its layoff chances and not so much from others. Depending on which website you believe, Miami either is a strong contender for a top four-seed or will be at the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff bracket.
FiveThirtyEight likes Miami much more than ESPN. Entering Wednesday, FiveThirtyEight gave the Heat an 88 perent chance of making the playoffs, fourth-best in the East behind Toronto (99 percent), Boston (99) and Cleveland (98). Below the Heat are Milwaukee (76), Indiana (73), Detroit (73) and Philadelphia (73). ESPN, though, is not so confi- dent, giving Miami the eighth-best odds in the East, with a 74.5 percent chance of making the play
and quite a distance behind No. 7 Milwaukee at 82.3 percent. It has Toronto and Boston at 99.9 percent, following by Cleveland (98.9), Washington (96.6), Detroit (87.5), Philadelphia (86.2), Milwaukee and Miami.
ESPN expects the Heat to finish 43-39 — projecting that Miami, 25-18 entering Wednesday’s game at the Bucks, will finish the season 18-21. Its seven-game winning streak ended Monday in Chicago.
Theplayoffs have been on the Heat’s minds for awhile now.
“We’re trying to get into the playoffs,” Tyler Johnson said in late December. “We’re playing for playoff position right now. Even though some people will call it early, we’re trying to put ourselves in a position where we don’t have to look back, we won’t have to scrape and claw at the very end like we’ve had to in years past.”
The Heat dug such a deep hole a year ago, going 11-30 in the first half of the season, that even a 30-11 turnaround could not get them into the postseason thanks to a tiebreaker for the final spot in the East.