Hassan Whiteside cleared to play but status uncertain for Tuesday

The Miami Heat's bid to lock up one of the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference could get a boost on Tuesday.

Or not. The Heat are playing it close to the chest.

In any case, Hassan Whiteside has been cleared for action after missing three games due to a hand laceration that needed 10 stitches. He put free throws up at practice Monday, but it's unclear if the team will have him make his return quite yet.

"The pain went down some and the doctor cleared me," Whiteside said. "I won't be 100 percent but I can help the team by being a presence."

The Heat could certainly use their breakout big man against the San Antonio Spurs, as Miami has a narrow two-game hold on a playoff spot with nine left to play. When healthy, Whiteside has been a major addition for the team, even if he hasn't quite matured under (somewhat curious) leadership quite yet.

In 41 games, Whiteside is averaging 11 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 61.6 percent, remarkable production considering he was out of the league the last two years and is playing on a minimum contract. The Heat have been 3.2 points per-100 possessions better with him on the court, which is probably now the case for people using the Heat in NBA 2K15, too.