Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has being band due to…
The Miami Heat were without arguably their best 3-point shooter Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings.
So veteran Josh Richardson, not necessarily known for his perimeter game, stepped in. He scored a season-high 24 points, including six threes, to help the Heat snap a seven-game losing streak.
“You never really know,” Richardson said. “In the warmups, my shots felt good. Once I got going in the game, I just let it fly.”
Three-point specialist Duncan Robinson was ruled out before the game because of the concussion protocol. That left an opening for Richardson, who had recently fell out of the rotation.
“It’s never easy, it’s hard,” Richardson said of the decreased playing time. “We’ve got a lot of guys that can play and contribute. I really had to go home and think, like figure it out. What do I have to do better to get minutes and how can I help the team win games? Just changed my mindset.”
Richardson moved up to ninth on the franchise’s list for career 3-pointers with 478, surpassing Voshon Leonard. The plan now is build off the performance so he can remain in the rotation.
“You’ve got to be a professional about it,” Richardson said. “Some guys will pout or not handle it the right way. I flew my trainer in from California and I’ve been in the gym with him just trying to keep my mind right.”
