MIAMI — It could have been worse.
Raymond Felton had a scary fall on his left ankle late in Friday’s game at Orlando but afterward was ruled day to day with a sprain. He sat out Saturday night’s game at Miami, and Nuggets coach George Karl said Felton likely won’t play Monday against Toronto.
“We’re hoping for next week sometime,” Karl said.
Denver plays Wednesday against San Antonio, the No. 1 team in the Western Conference.
“Raymond’s history is that he likes to play and he doesn’t like to be hurt — he’s only missed nine games in his career,” Karl said of Felton, who has played 78 or more games in every NBA season since his rookie season of 2005-06. “But he’s wobbling around pretty good.”
Felton has been coming off the bench for Denver but playing big minutes — 31.1 per game. With Felton out, Karl said he’ll have to get “creative,” playing shooting guard J.R. Smith at the point at times.
Heat on the Heat.
Miami had a summer unlike any team in sports history. Uniting LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh made for a media frenzy — and catapulted expectations. But Miami entered Saturday’s game against Denver as just the No. 3 team in the East and had lost six of its past 10 games.
“I think when they were having their troubles a couple of weeks ago, I said to everybody, ‘They have plenty of time to figure it out and fix it up,’ ” Karl said. “So much of playoff basketball is who you get in the first round and how much you gain when you win that first round.”
Military man.
Former Heat player Tim James, who later joined the Army and served in Iraq, was back in the States and honored before Saturday’s game.
“We are truly thankful,” former Miami center Alonzo Mourning said while introducing James to the crowd.
