SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Justise Winslow of the Miami Heat will have surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder Thursday, and the team expects that he will miss the remainder of the season.
Winslow was hurt in the final minute of Miami’s loss in Boston on Friday when he got tangled up with Celtics center Al Horford. The injury was originally diagnosed as a stinger, and even Winslow said earlier this week that he wasn’t worried.
Winslow immediately began grabbing at the shoulder after he and Horford made contact while anticipating a rebound. Winslow was called for a foul on the play.
Further tests after the team returned to Miami revealed the tear, which the Heat announced Wednesday before they played the Sacramento Kings.
“I really feel for him because I know how much time he put in this summer,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’s put in as much time as anybody.”
Winslow missed 16 games earlier this season with a sore left wrist. The second-year forward out of Duke is averaging 10.9 points on 35 percent shooting this season.
The Heat have been dealing with injuries and illness all season, starting when All-Star forward Chris Bosh (complications related to blood clots) was not cleared for participation after failing a physical before training camp.
Wayne Ellington, Josh Richardson and Dion Waiters - a trio of the team’s best shooters - have all missed at least 10 games with an array of leg injuries. Forward Josh McRoberts is out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his left foot and center Hassan Whiteside - the league’s leading rebounder - is currently out with an eye injury, though is expected to rejoin the team in Los Angeles later this week.
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