Haslem out, Miller in for Heat
MIAMI — Heat forward Udonis Haslem, who has not played since November following foot surgery, is inactive for Game 1 this afternoon vs. the Celtics.
“We have to be patient and evaluate this objectively, not on the timeline when the series starts,” said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra. “We’ve been pushing his workouts a little bit more, but he’s not there yet.”
Meanwhile, guard Mike Miller, who was held out of the final three games against the 76ers with a sore left thumb, is active today, though Spoelstra is unsure how much Miller will play. Spoelstra said Miller has told his coach he’d like to help in any way possible, even if it means just cheering from the bench.
— Spoelstra said Dwyane Wade will draw the first defensive assignment on Ray Allen, but the coach stressed team defense in stopping the Celtics. The Celtics and Heat are two of the best
“You can’t do it alone,” said Spoelstra. “We spent a lot of time developing these habits on defense, to defend while trusting on your brother. To defend the Boston Celtics, they don’t play a one-on-one game, so you’re not going to have opportunities that often to take your challenge and defend your player one-on-one without worrying about anybody else.”
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