What It Means:

The Heat have not said what grade sprain Whiteside is dealing with, so while it could be serious, it could also be a mild sprain. He is considered day to day, but his chances of playing in Game 4 seem questionable at best. If he is forced to miss any time in this series, Udonis Haslem and Amar'e Stoudemire stand to see big minutes in his place. It's a huge blow to the Heat, who are now down 2-1 in the series.

After averaging 13.1 points and 11.4 rebounds in the first round, Whiteside has taken a slight step downward after getting hurt in Game 3. He is averaging 9.3 points and 9.7 rebounds over his last three games. However, he has been pretty efficient for the playoffs, with a True Shooting Percentage of 67.9 percent.