MIAMI — LeBron James scores, passes, rebounds and plays defense. Apparently, he also breaks news.
The Miami Heat offered no timetable Monday on how long forward Shane Battier might be out due to a knee injury. Then James stepped up to talk with the media.
“Unfortunately, we’re not going to have him for the next few games,’’ James said of Battier.
James later backtracked a bit. But it certainly seems reasonable the Heat could be without Battier for home games Thursday against San Antonio and Saturday against Brooklyn. After that, they don’t play again until Dec. 4 at Washington.
Battier suffered a sprained right MCL when teammate Udonis Haslem fell into him in the third quarter last Saturday against Cleveland. Battier, who didn’t need an MRI, didn’t practice Monday.
“I think we’re day-to-day,’’ said Battier when asked if there’s a chance he could face the Spurs. “I think we’re all day-to-day. You want to make God laugh? Tell him your plans for tomorrow.’’
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra clung to some hope Battier could play Thursday. But he talked about the frustration he would feel if a player who provides stellar defense and timely shooting can’t go.
“I just know I’ll have anxiety if Shane doesn’t play … because of all the little things he does,’’ Spoelstra said. “I hope we don’t to find out how much we miss him.’’
Spoelstra wouldn’t speculate who might start in place of Battier, who has opened all 13 games this season for the Heat. Miami has used the same starting lineup in each game with the exception of guard Dwyane Wade having missed three games due to illness or injury and being replaced by Mike Miller.
Battier had a sprained MCL with Houston in 2009-10 and missed the final 14 games. Battier, who said he was shut down then in part because the team was out of the playoffs, said this injury isn’t nearly as severe but that he is “sore.’’
“I knew it was my knee,’’ Battier said of getting hurt Saturday, when he hit the floor hard. “I felt a pull right away. I didn’t hear a pop or anything like that. It was nasty play. My back got crunched. I got a strawberry (on it).’’
It would be handy to have Battier, who is averaging 7.0 points and tied for the team lead with 27 3-pointers made, against the Spurs. Then again, it’s not as if the Heat won’t still at least have one advantage.
While Miami has no games between last Saturday and Thursday, the Spurs have three games during the period. They won at Toronto on Sunday in double overtime, are at Washington on Monday and at Orlando on Wednesday.
“I don’t feel sorry for them at all,’’ Wade said. “The schedule all evens out. We had our tough run (on the road earlier this month). We got another one coming up (in late December).’’
James, though, said it won’t matter how many miles the Spurs will have logged on their six-game trip, which began last Wednesday at Boston and concludes in Miami.
“It’s going to be a great team no matter if they have four games in a row,’’ James said. “They got one of the greatest coaches ever (Gregg Popovich) and they got some of the greatest players ever (Tim Duncan has four title rings and Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili each have three).’’
And the Heat won’t have Battier to match up against any of those great players. At least that’s the word from James.
Chris Tomasson can be reached at christomasson@hotmail.com or on Twitter @christomasson
