Monta Ellis, second-year guard for the Warriors, was helped off the court late in the third quarter of their game against Miami on Saturday night with an injured right shoulder.

Ellis left with his shoulder in a sling.

"That would be very costly," Don Nelson said afterward when asked what it would mean to be without Ellis for any significant time. "Not that any of them aren't."

Ellis got tangled with Heat forward James Posey and sprawled to the floor with about a minute left in the period. He was grabbing his right shoulder after he hit the court.

He remained face down on the court for 3 minutes, tapping the toes of his sneakers on the court and grimacing in agony. Ellis was eventually rolled over onto his back while being tended to by members of both teams' medical staffs, then was helped off the court as he clutched his side.

"He usually bounces right back up," Golden State's Keith McLeod said. "Him being down like that was pretty scary."