Miami Heat power forward P. J. Tucker will take an MRI on Friday to examine the condition of his left knee (h/t Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes).
Tucker left the floor in the third frame of their Game 2 Conference Finals matchup against the Boston Celtics on Thursday after sustaining a left knee contusion. He was eventually announced out for the remainder of the match.
And his absence served as a huge blow for the Heat’s defensive wing, as his primary assignment Jayson Tatum pulled off a 27-point game en route to a dominant 127-102 win — putting a 1-1 series deadlock heading to Boston.
“Ask him. He said he’s good to go,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said about Tucker’s status, per Jack Baer of Yahoo! Sports. “We’ll just have to see tomorrow. I’ll talk to the trainers.”
A possible extended absence from Tucker means a gut-wrenching blow for Miami. The 37-year-old veteran is the resonating figure of the franchise’ ‘Heat Culture’ throughout the season and has been a tremendous help for star swingman Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in the frontcourt.
Tucker also braved through the pain upon tweaking his ankle in Game 1 of the said series on Tuesday. He still suited up and helped the Heat to draw a 118-107 first blood dub.
The 2022 Eastern Conference Finals series will now roll to Massachusetts, as Game 3 is scheduled on Saturday.
