Victor Oladipo did everything he could to stay in the game.
In the final minutes before the interval bell rang, with the Rockets clinging to a 53-47 lead on Thursday over the Miami Heat, Oladipo was out in the middle of the court with Willie Cruz – Houston’s director of performance – testing his right foot.
Oladipo tried to make explosive bursts from a paralyzed position. He ran up and down on the floor. He measured his lateral ability, seeing if his foot could withstand pressure and weight. With each exercise the team did, it became clear that Oladipo was not feeling 100 percent, and ended up returning to the locker room at the beginning of the third quarter.
Ironically, the two cases in which Oladipo was injured in the first half were examples of the two-way presence that Houston needs from him consistently. The first: a quick capture and burst from the left corner, passing Kelly Olynyk …