Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers misses practice on Tuesday

Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers (15) shoots over Charlotte Bobcats center Al Jefferson (25) and Charlotte Bobcats guard Kemba Walker (15) during the first half in game one during the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

The Miami Heat, despite being the number two seed in the Eastern Conference, are considered to be the prohibitive favorites to reach the NBA Finals for the fourth straight season, and they began their quest with a convincing win over the Charlotte Bobcats this weekend. However, an important player in their rotation emerged from the game with an injury concern, and that issue caused point guard Mario Chalmers to miss practice on Tuesday.

Chalmers played 25 minutes in the opener, down from approximately 30 per game this season, but the shin contusion did not seem to negatively affect his play, and this is likely a non-issue from an availability perspective. The Heat and Bobcats resume their season on Wednesday night in Miami, and Chalmers isn’t expected to miss the game at this point in time.

Still, the Heat have much higher aspirations than grabbing a win over the Bobcats on Wednesday, and they do need Chalmers at full strength. The 27-year-old point guard has endured some real scrutiny over the years, especially from his own teammates, but as nearly a 39% three-point shooter and plus-defender in the backcourt, he has developed into a nice supporting piece for the Heat.

Stay tuned for any updates as they become available, but expect Chalmers to be in the lineup for Game 2.

Home/Charlotte Hornets