Heat big man Hassan Whiteside is getting pretty good at this triple-double thing.
Playing near his hometown of Gastonia, N.C., Whiteside came up big with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks in 27 minutes off the bench in Miami's 98-95 win over the Hornets. The triple-double was this third of the season and his second off the bench. Oh, and it was just his second game back after missing six with a hip injury suffered Jan. 20.
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Erik Spoelstra has decided to ease his big man into the lineup, playing him just 17 minutes in his return Wednesday.
"Whatever amount of minutes I play, I'm going to try to contribute the most I can," Whiteside told the Sun Sentinel. "I don't know how many minutes I'm going to play. I'm just going to come out there and just try to be the best Hassan Whiteside I can be."
That turned out to be plenty for the Heat on Friday.
Friday night injury bug
Several big-name players went down with injuries Friday night. Cavaliers forward Kevin Love took a hit to the thigh in his team's 104-103 loss to the Celtics. Despite pain that felt like "a dead leg," Love said he hopes a night of ice will will help him play Saturday against the Pelicans.
Jimmy Butler may not be so lucky. The Bulls guard went up for a drive against the Bucks and came down with a left knee sprain. He was carted off the court and missed the rest of the game. Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters after the game the initial checkup revealed no ligament damage.
Video of the apparent injury to Jimmy Butler #CHIatDEN https://t.co/C9l5p1v6EE
— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 6, 2016
Highlights
With Butler out of the lineup, the Bulls needed a big game from Derrick Rose. And Rose delivered, putting up 30 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, but the Bulls came up on the short end of a 115-110 score against the Nuggets. Still, this was a pretty sweet move from the former NBA MVP.
Vintage Derrick Rose 🌹 #Bulls https://t.co/rNds5AkqMX
— Hooped Up (@hoopedup) February 6, 2016
Avery Bradley's dagger handed the Cavaliers a 104-103 loss to the Celtics. It was the Cavs' second loss in a row after winning five straight.
Avery Bradley for the win! https://t.co/KmlzXoqwxp
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 6, 2016
Studs of the night
Washington’s backcourt showed Friday why it was regarded as one of the league's best heading into the season. John Wall and Bradley Beal both had outstanding games in the Wizards' 106-94 win over the Sixers. Beal scored a team-high 22 points on 10-of-16 shooting while Wall came up with 18 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for a triple-double.
Joe Johnson finally looked like the same guy who was a mainstay on the All-Star team in Atlanta. Johnson scored 27 points and added 11 assists as the Nets defeated the Sacramento Kings 128-119.
Duds of the night
With Carmelo Anthony out of the lineup, it would be ideal that the Knicks get some production from their backcourt. That didn't happen Friday and the Knicks suffered a 91-85 loss as a result. Starters Langston Galloway and Arron Afflalo combined to shoot just 5 of 26 from the field, 2 of 9 from 3-point range.
Looking ahead
Thunder (38-13) at Warriors (45-4) 9 p.m. ET: Any time these two squads face off, it's must-see basketball. Before the Warriors went on their current surge, the Thunder were the fastest guns in the West with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Those two will need to be on their game and get some help from role players if they hope to give the Warriors just their fifth loss in their first 50 games.