During the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game between the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic, Hassan Whiteside noticeably removed the knee brace he was wearing early on. Having only recovered from an injury recently, many were surprised after Whiteside opted not to have it late in the game, which could have serious effects on his knee.

The good news for Hassan Whiteside is that he was able to finish the game without any problems, and appeared to be more comfortable moving without the protection. When asked what made him decide to remove the brace, the Heat big man shared, via Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, that he felt good and did not consult with the team trainers anymore. Whiteside also added that he no longer feels any pain in his knee which is a positive sign.

“I feel fine without it,” Whiteside said. “I know those guys want me to wear it. I feel fine without it. I felt like it kept hitting my other leg, so I feel like I move better without it.”

“I ain't talked to 'em about it, but it was winning time and I listened to my body and I didn't feel any pain, so I felt fine out there. I felt a lot better.”

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Hassan Whiteside finished the game with a solid stat line of nine points, 13 rebounds, and four assists. More importantly, he anchored the Heat defense and made it possible for them to win on the road and improve their record to 19-17 for the season, which is currently good for seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

It will be interesting to see if the seven-foot big man will have the knee brace on or not when the Heat return to action on Wednesday versus the Detroit Pistons. With how the team has taken a cautious approach on his injury though, it won’t be surprising if their trainers advise him to still have them on to avoid any setbacks.