With the Eastern Conference finals headed for a tense finish, the Miami Heat appear ready to try to get their missing All-Star on the floor.
According to multiple sources, the Heat are hoping to activate Chris Bosh for Tuesday’s Game 5 if he doesn’t suffer a setback in workouts over the next two days. Bosh declined to discuss his status following the Heat’s 93-91 overtime loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday, which tied the series at 2-2.
Bosh has missed three weeks and nine playoff games since going down with an abdominal strain in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Indiana Pacers. The Heat have not put an official timetable on his return but it is believed they were targeting a three-week window for a return if he didn’t have setbacks in his rehab.
He has been doing on-court workouts for the past week and got on the floor with teammates during practices while the Heat were in Boston. Typically players who return from abdominal strains take awhile to return to full strength and Bosh could be playing on a minute restriction when he comes back.
The Heat have been scrambling without him, starting three different centers in his place and even using LeBron James at center for stretches. The Celtics have taken advantage as Kevin Garnett has averaged 20.5 points and 10.8 rebounds in the four games.
WRITTEN BY Brian Windhorst | ESPN.com & FULL STORY HERE
