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Heat’s James out with back spasms
Alan is an expert gambling writer who works as one of the chief editors for Basketball Insiders. He has been covering online gambling and sports betting for over 8 years, having written for the likes of Sportlens, Compare.bet, The Sports Daily, 90min, and TopRatedCasinos.co.uk. His particular specialisms include US online casinos and gambling regulations, and soccer and basketball betting. Based in London, Alan holds an MA in English Literature and is a passionate supporter of Chelsea FC.
All posts by Alan DraperUpdated6 hours ago on April 25, 2024
BOSTON — Miami Heat forward LeBron James, who scored 43 points the night before, was a late scratch with back spasms for Wednesday night’s game against the Boston Celtics.
The move was made after Miami coach Erik Spoelstra met with reporters before the game.
James’ third absence of the season comes a day after he scored 43 points in 42 minutes during the Heat’s 100-96 victory in Cleveland on Tuesday.
James had been dealing with varying levels of soreness in his back throughout the season.
The Heat have won both their previous games James has missed.
James is averaging 27 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.4 assists this season.
During the pregame session with reporters, James talked about the Heat needing to enter the playoffs as healthy as possible.
“Obviously, none of us is going to be 100 percent going into the playoffs,” James said, per ESPN.com. “But it is what it is. That’s the team we are. We’ve played a lot of basketball over the last four years. Guys have to be smart about certain situations and understand that if they can go, then go. But right now, we would rather go into the playoffs with 15 guys (full roster) instead of 13 or 12.”
