Center misses game
Andersen flies off bench for sidelined Whiteside (knee)
MIAMI — Apparently, when Birdman takes flight, it’s for real.
With Hassan Whiteside sidelined for Monday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers at American-Airlines Arena because of a sore right knee, Chris Andersen moved from the end of the Miami Heat’s bench to the starting lineup.
Instead of downsizing, the Heat moved Andersen into the starting five alongside Chris Bosh, Luol Deng, Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic. Prior to Monday night, that five-man grouping had not played a single minute together.
It is the first game Whiteside has missed this season, having started the first 33.
The Heat’s move to Birdman was made with Indiana going with a bigger lineup in light of being without starting point guard George Hill, who missed the game due to food poisoning.
With Hill out, the Pacers moved Monta Ellis from shooting guard to point guard, shifted C.J. Miles from power forward to shooting guard, inserted Lavoy Allen into their starting lineup at power forward, and continued with Paul George as their opening small forward and Ian Mahinmi as their starting center. That grouping had played a total of 20 minutes together this season prior to Monday night.
Coach Erik Spoelstra said he was unsure about when Whiteside sustained his knee ailment.
“Hassan got banged in the knee,” he said of an incident that apparently occurred during Sunday’s victory over the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center.
Whiteside closed that 97-75 victory with 13 rebounds and six blocked shots, sitting out the fourth quarter in what appeared to be a function of the lopsided score.
“He doesn’t exactly remember when, but he started to feel it after the game, and then [Monday] morning it was still sore,” Spoelstra said.
Whiteside, who took treatment before the game, was unavailable for pregame comment. The Heat did not hold a morning shootaround Monday because of the back-to-back scheduling. Their next game is Wednesday against the visiting New York Knicks, before they leave for Phoenix on Thursday to begin a six-game trip.
Spoelstra declined to confirm Whiteside’s absence during his pregame media session, saying only, “He’s going to get treatment right now.”
With Andersen starting, it gave the Heat their sixth opening lineup of the season.
Andersen went into Monday’s game having appeared in five previous games this season for a total of 24 minutes, with eight total points.
Power forward Josh McRoberts, who continues to deal with a bruised knee sustained two months ago, also was inactive Monday. He has now missed the past 14 games, an absence that began after playing in the Dec. 9 road victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
Because of the injuries to Whiteside and McRoberts, seldom-used Josh Richardson and Jarnell Stokes both were active Monday.
Stokes cited
Although now back with the parent team, Stokes on Monday was named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for his effort with the Sioux Falls Skyforce last week, when he played alongside Richardson with the Heat’s D-League affiliate.
Stokes powered Sioux Falls to a 3-0 week, averaging 22.3 points on .757 shooting from the field, to go with 8.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steals per game.
Among those Stokes beat out for the honor were Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jimmer Fredette.
Spoelstra praised his former assistant Dan Craig for the results Craig is achieving this season as coach of the Skyforce.
“I think D.C.’s doing a fantastic job down there,” Spoelstra said.