Chris Bosh: Why Erik Spoelstra Leaving Him on the Bench Is Indefensible

Chris Bosh returned for Tuesday night's Game 5 against the Boston Celtics after having been sidelined since May 13 with an abdominal strain he suffered in the first half of Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers.

But he didn't return for long.

Despite a productive outing in the first half, Bosh wound up only playing a little over 14 minutes in the game, tallying nine points and seven rebounds while on the floor.

Maybe that's all we should have expected, given head coach Erik Spoelstra's attempt to minimize expectations before the game (via AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds):

"

"He doesn't have to be the Chris Bosh that he was seven weeks ago," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before the game. "We can build up to that. He just has to give us solid minutes and help our rotation get worked out."

"

Well, so much for "solid minutes."

Down the stretch in the fourth quarter, Spoelstra didn't risk putting Bosh in the line of fire. Instead, he went with a small lineup including a front-court unit composed of Udonis Haslem, LeBron James and Shane Battier.

The conservative decision to leave Bosh on the bench almost certainly cost the Heat, and not just because Haslem missed a key free throw with 1:12 remaining in the game.

The Celtics found their way to two key offensive rebounds in those waning minutes despite trailing the Heat by 10 boards for the game. Haslem and James combined for 27 of Miami's 49 rebounds, but they could have used some help with the game on the line.

Miami could have also used Bosh's length to put a hand in Kevin Garnett's face. Without it, the 36-year-old scored 26 points, including a late baseline jumper that helped Boston secure the lead.

Sure, Bosh may have been rusty. He made just three of his eight field-goal attempts, and his mid-range jumper was off.

That much we expected.

But, Bosh also brought energy to the game, and there's no question he would have been primed to continue doing so in the final minutes. Miami didn't need another superstar, but they did need a guy with Bosh's experience, scoring ability and size.

Heat fans should once again be scratching their heads over Spoelstra's late-game decisions.

Of course, had Bosh continued to play, perhaps we'd be blaming the loss on him and wondering why on earth Coach Spo would have put him in such a high-pressure situation.

Then again, we wouldn't need to blame anyone for the loss—it just might have been a win instead.