Indiana Pacers power forward David West missed shootaround Saturday due to an upper respiratory infection, but he's expected to play in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat.
Heat vs. Pacers Game 6: David West misses shootaround, still expected to play
Pacers big man David West missed shootaround prior to Game 6 with an illness, but he’s expected to suit up and give it a go Saturday night.
The frontcourt duo of West and Roy Hibbert have given the smaller Heat a lot of problems throughout the series, and the Pacers are hoping West will be close to 100 percent on Saturday night in order to help avoid elimination. West is averaging 18.2 points and 8.4 rebounds in five games this series while shooting 47.8 percent from the field.
Miami will be without Chris Andersen in Game 6 due to a suspension, so having a mostly healthy West would give Indiana an even bigger advantage down low. The Pacers have dominated the boards for much of the series, pulling down 55.4 percent of all available rebounds and 36.2 percent of the possible offensive rebounds, according to NBA.com.
If West is somehow unable to go or is limited, not having that second effective inside presence could spell doom for Indiana. More pressure would be put on Hibbert to carry the load in the paint, and he may not be able to do it all by himself.
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