Nicolas Batum (ankle) is expected to miss the remainder of Charlotte's first round series against Miami, Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com reports.

Batum (ankle) is expected to miss the remainder of Charlotte's first round series against Miami, Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com reports.

Analysis:

Batum sprained his right ankle during Wednesday's Game 2 loss, and coach Steve Clifford revealed after the game that he was "very concerned" about the injury. While an X-Ray on Thursday revealed no structural damage to the ankle, Batum is dealing with considerable soreness and the team is not optimistic that he'll be able to return in the near future. The Hornets find themselves in an 0-2 hole as the series shifts to Charlotte, and without Batum it will be even more difficult to make up ground.