Spoelstra: Richardson’s return up in the air

Coach says there’s no timeline with foot in walking boot

NEW YORK — With lineup mainstay Josh Richardson in a walking boot and not with the Miami Heat for their two-game trip to New York and Boston, coach Erik Spoelstra declined to address whether it is a seasonending injury.

“I don’t have a new update,” Spoelstra said in advance of Saturday night’s game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, with Richardson listed out with a bruised left heel.

Richardson watched Thursday’s victory over the Dallas Mavericks at AmericanAirlines Arena from the bench while wearing a walking boot, something that has been the case away from the arena, as well.

“That’s part of his treatment,” Spoelstra said, with Saturday the second game Richardson has missed with the injury. “He also has quite a bit of the treatment without the boot during the day and working. But there is not a timeline.”

In addition to Richardson, Justise Winslow and Rodney McGruder also did not make the trip that concludes Monday night against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.

Winslow now has missed the past eight games, including Saturday in New York, with a bruised left thigh. McGruder has missed the past seven with a sore left knee.

“As much treatment, work as they can get, around the clock, that’s their focus right now,” Spoelstra said of the three players left behind.

The upshot, with the Heat having dealt Tyler Johnson and Wayne Ellington at the February trading deadline, and with two open roster spots due to potential luxury-tax implications, has been rookie Duncan Robinson seeing rotation time.

“He’s certainly gotten better,” Spoelstra said of the forward on a two-way contract. “He had a phenomenal year this year in the G League. But he’s improved his defense. He’s improved his body and his conditioning and his strength. He’s improved his ability to work on the move for catch-andshoot opportunities, rather than just being a spot-up shooter.

“He’s become much more dynamic. I don’t hesitate at all to play him.”

Last Dance

Saturday delivered Dwyane Wade to Madison Square Garden for the final time of his winding-down 16-season career

“I’ve always said, besides playing at home, it’s my favorite place to play, and a lot of guys’, because of what it means, the history of MSG,” Wade said. “So it’s great to have one more here. I’m glad we had two games here, not one this year.”

Wade said the support he has received in the building over the years has intensified his affection for the building.

“I guess it would be the combination of it all,” he said. “I don’t know. It’s a lot of great arenas in the NBA, but there’s something about MSG that’s just special. Even when it was not upgraded -and I say that very nicely -it’s just something special about it.

“I mean obviously, for us, in Miami, the Heat Nation is always strong here, so we always got like a home-crowd kind of feel. But it’s just everything. It’s the lights, it’s the way they position it, it’s the way the floor is lit. It’s everything that makes it just different.”

Fizdale support

Both Spoelstra and Wade offered their support to former Heat assistant coach David Fizdale, who is going through growing pains in his first season as Knicks coach.

“He’s very resilient,” Spoelstra said of his former aide. “And I think the entire organization is on the same page of what they’re trying to do, build a foundation. I think he’s doing a terrific job with it. It requires patience. It requires big-picture thinking, and I think they’re doing that.”

The next step for Fizdale will be recruiting in free agency, with the Knicks potentially having the cap space for two top-tier additions.

“Obviously I’m a big fan of his, he’s a good friend of mine,” Wade said. “So I hope so, but you’ve got to wait and see.”