MIAMI — As the Miami Heat head into the final week of their regular season, they find themselves at a crossroads with forward Andrew Wiggins in regards to what could have been and what still could be.
Sidelined the past five games with what the team has been listing as right hamstring tendinopathy, Wiggins said the plan is to return this week.
The Heat host the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night at Kaseya Center to close out what has opened as an 0-2 homestand, to be followed by a two-game trip Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls and Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans.
“Definitely been frustrating, just because I want to be out there, playing with the guys and just fighting,” Wiggins said after sitting out Saturday night’s 121-115 overtime loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. “I feel like this is a new thing for me. I feel like usually I play throughout the season a lot of games, but being hurt sucks.”
With this latest ailment, Wiggins has missed 14 of the 29 games since being acquired at the Feb. 6 NBA trading deadline from the Golden State Warriors for Jimmy Butler.
In addition to the five-game absence with the hamstring issue, he has missed two games with a lower-leg contusion, five with a sprained right ankle, one with a stomach illness and one in transition after the trade.
“Hopefully in the next couple of games I’ll find my way back on the court,” he said.
Wiggins was sidelined in the midst of a six-game winning streak that has been followed by a pair of losses so competitive, including Ja Morant’s buzzer-beating game-winner on Thursday night for the Memphis Grizzlies, that his presence could have been the difference.
“I believe in myself and the team’s been rolling,” the 30-year-old former All-Star said. “So just being out there and trying to contribute to winning and do whatever the team needs me to do, I think I’ll be in a good spot.”
Wiggins could not pinpoint a specific play when he injured the hamstring. His last action was a 16-point outing in a March 27 home victory over the Atlanta Hawks, two games after he scored a career-high 42 points in a home victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
“It had been kind of lingering a little bit,” he said.
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