The Toronto Raptors scored a huge victory over the Miami Heat in game 3, but the victory came at a cost.
Center Jonas Valanciunas sprained his right ankle in game 3. While x-rays came back negative, he was too injured to return to the game, and it’s unclear if he’s available for game 4.
Valanciunas’ injury is particularly unfortunate because he’s played at a high level throughout the playoffs. The New York Times even ran a feature that noted the Lithuanian center’s development in its May 8 copy.
The Times story includes a quote from DeMarre Carroll, who told Valanciunas “if he will play as hard on defense as he does on offense, we will win this whole series.