As the Miami Heat are trying to break their three-game losing streak tonight against the Indiana Pacers at home, they received some injury updates to key players such as Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Duncan Robinson, and others. The Heat are trying to salvage the current home-stand after losing to the Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday night.
Starting with the drive to the Heat in Butler, he is listed as “questionable” according to the official NBA Injury Report. The star has missed the last two games with a right ankle sprain and could potentially miss a third depending on the progress he makes Thursday.
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra will have to look to other forwards on the team such as impressive rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr., Caleb Martin, and others as they try to fill the void if Butler doesn't play Thursday. Spoelstra said to ClutchPoints before Tuesday's loss that he doesn't want Jaquez and Martin to be Butler, but the performances they have been giving are helping Miami.
“They don't have to try to be Jimmy. Those guys are giving us great production right now. I really like where Caleb is trending. I'm just looking at his movement, and I want to see the quick twitch and some of the activity that makes him and ultimately us more dynamic. He's the ultimate X Factor,” Spoelstra said. “And then Jaime, I like where he's progressing. He's playing winning basketball, he's able to complement a lot of different lineups. He's eating up everything right now and he's a smart player. So he picks up things quickly. But the biggest thing is he's a competitor, he's a mature player and those type of characteristics can fit in with what we're trying to do.”
Good news for the Heat and Bam Adebayo
As for arguably the Heat's best performing player in Bam Adebayo, he is listed as “probable” for the matchup against the Pacers which is great news after putting up a monster stat-line Tuesday. The big-man scored 31 points, collected 10 rebounds, recorded five assists, and had two blocks.
So far on the season, Adebayo has been a stud averaging 23.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, four assists, and 1.1 blocks per game. For the Heat to get back to their winning ways, Adebayo will be the catalyst as he said to ClutchPoints that the loss Tuesday and the upcoming Thursday game can spark another seven-game winning streak like the team had earlier.
”I mean, we can't be in the hole too long. We got another game and you never know, it could spark another seven-game winning streak,” Adebayo said.
Other Heat injury updates
Another key update is for dynamic three-point shooter Duncan Robinson who missed time with a right thump sprain, but came back Tuesday and played 31 minutes in the loss to the Bucks. Like Adebayo, he's also listed as “probable” which is significant as Miami will need all the firepower they need against a Pacers team that has been efficient on offense so far this season.
Robinson was integral in the latest five-game road trip as he played the best basketball he's had all season. In Tuesday's game, he scored 13 points and was 42.9 percent from deep (3-7).
Other important injury updates are that Haywood Highsmith is “questionable” with a lower back contusion. The statistics don't jump out the page with Highsmith, but he's key to the team defensively and has contributed on offense. Spoelstra has molded him to be an exact right fit for this Heat team.
The Heat are 10-8 on the season which puts them seventh in the Eastern Conference. The last two home games before Miami heads back on the road are Thursday and Saturday night against the Pacers.
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