After the Miami Heat beat the Detroit Pistons in a statement win on Sunday, the team now prepares to extend its five-game winning streak against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night. While the Heat's Norman Powell and Andrew Wiggins continue to be out, Tyler Herro and Kel'el Ware are now on the injury report, which are late additions.
From the fifth to the 10th seed in the East, the teams are only separated by five games, making the final 17 games of the season for the Heat very important. Having finished in the play-in tournament and eighth in the Eastern Conference, there's no denying how much the goal for the team is to avoid the tourney.
Here's everything we know about Tyler Herro and Kel'el Ware's injuries and their playing status vs. the Wizards.
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Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware injury status vs. Wizards
Consequently, starting with Herro, it has been an injury-riddled season for him, missing 45 total games this season.
He recently came off a 15-game absence with a ribs injury; he's played the last nine contests off the All-Star break and excelled. Coming off a 25-point game against the Pistons and being awarded Eastern Conference Player of the Week, averaging 26.3 points per game in that span, he is questionable for Tuesday with “left quadriceps soreness.”
While it remains to be seen how his body feels throughout the day, there's no denying that Herro responding the way he's been doing has been “incredible,” as Jaime Jaquez Jr. said.
“It’s incredible,” Jaquez said. “He is the true definition of a professional. To be able to take all that time off, obviously dealing with injury, and then come back like he hasn’t missed a step. It’s really incredible. I don’t know a lot of guys who can really do what he’s been able to do.”
Subsequently, speaking of Jaquez, he looks to step up huge for Miami on Tuesday, with a good bit of the rotation absent for Tuesday, which does include Ware, who will miss the contest with a left shoulder strain. Ware has been playing more consistent minutes coming off the bench, especially when playing alongside Bam Adebayo in the two-big-man lineup, with even the star saying how the team is “trusting” him more.
Besides Powell, Wiggins, and Ware, the team will also continue to miss Nikola Jovic with a back injury.
There's no doubt how crucial the game is for Miami, as with the injuries to Herro, Ware, and more, it could impede the goal of avoiding the play-in tournament with the team at a 36-29 record, putting them seventh in the Eastern Conference.
Heat injury report
Fontecchio, Simone AVAILABLE Injury/Illness – Left Groin; Strain
Herro, Tyler QUESTIONABLE Injury/Illness – Left Quadriceps; Soreness
Johnson, Keshad AVAILABLE G League – On Assignment
Jovic, Nikola OUT Injury/Illness – Low Back; Injury Management
Mitchell, Davion AVAILABLE Injury/Illness – Left Shoulder; Contusion
Powell, Norman OUT Injury/Illness – Right Groin; Strain
Rozier, Terry OUT Not With Team
Ware, Kel'el OUT Injury/Illness – Right Shoulder; Strain
Wiggins, Andrew OUT Injury/Illness – Left Big Toe; Sesamoiditis
Wizards injury report
Davis, Anthony OUT Injury/Illness – Left Finger; Sprain
George, Kyshawn OUT Injury/Illness – Left Elbow; Sprain
Russell, D'Angelo OUT Not With Team
Watkins, Jamir OUT Injury/Illness – Left Ankle; Foot; Sprain
Whitmore, Cam OUT Injury/Illness – Right Shoulder; Deep Vein Thrombosis
Young, Trae OUT Injury/Illness – Right Knee; Injury Management
