Raptors’ Valanciunas: MRI ‘wasn’t the best results we expected’
Michael Grange May 9, 2016, 1:35 PM
MIAMI – The
Toronto Raptors’ best post-season performer to date was offered a chair to sit on when he spoke with the media at shootaround on Tuesday morning, and he refused it.
That’s about the extent of the good news regarding
Jonas Valanciunas, the Raptors seven-foot centre who could stand on his sprained right ankle, albeit with lower leg encased in a walking boot, but can’t play.
Whether the Raptors advance to the Eastern Conference Finals by dispatching the
Miami Heat in five games or if it stretches to seven, Valanciunas has been ruled out for this round at the minimum.
“Pain-wise, it’s okay but that can affect the future so you, so we’re treating, doing everything to get better, to heal and we’ll see day by day,” said Valanciunas, who twisted his ankle when he stepped on the back of Dwayne Wade’s foot early in the second half of Game 3.
He was trying to put an optimistic face on the injury, that has taken him from the Raptors lineup at the moment he was playing the best basketball of his career, averaging 15 points and 12.1 rebounds in 10 post-season games, and 18.3 points and 12.7 rebounds per game in three games against Miami, along with two blocks and two assists.
With Valanciunas out
Bismack Biyombo is expected to get the start at centre. The Raptors were 16-6 with Biyombo as a starter.
The Raptors haven’t announced the severity of Valanciunas’ injury, but there was word circulating that it’s a third-degree sprain which usually requires 30 days to recover and often more. After Game 3, Valanciunas seemed upbeat about the possibility of returning for this series but that changed after testing was completed on Sunday.
“We did MRI and we saw the results and it wasn’t the best results we expected,” he said. “We’re just going to see what’s happening, it’s already got a little bit better over night, the plan is ice, keeping high and resting. You do this and see what happens.”
Still Valanciunas said he was hoping to play if the Raptors should get past the Heat.
“I have faith in my teammates and they are doing a great job, I think,” he said. “And I’m going to be cheering, going to be doing what I can do to support them and hopefully they’re going to win this series and next series I can help them.”
