MIAMI – Monday night started strangely for the Miami Heat as Tyler Herro injured his toe in pre-game, despite being announced as a starter, making him a late scratch for the 106-96 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Monday night. To add to that, the Heat's young forward in Nikola Jovic sustained a concerning arm injury that, at first glance, was a scary sight for the entire team.

As Jovic was going through a slump, Monday could have been a chance to get back on track as he entered the game with 3:50 left in the first quarter. However, he would only play 12 seconds, as when trying to dunk the ball, he landed hard out of bounds, right on his arm and more specifically his elbow.

His arm would stay extended as he was in pain, leading to the team and coaching staff surrounding him until he walked off the court with a cast that kept his right arm extended. Still, throughout it all, he had a smile on his face, a sight that head coach Erik Spoelstra “couldn't believe,” as he also gave more insight on the gruesome injury, saying that Jovic “dodged a bullet.”

“Crazy Serbian, I couldn't believe he was smiling, he was laughing when we all went up to him,” Spoelstra said. “He probably saw the look on all of our faces. It was a hard fall, it looks like we dodged a bullet on that one, it came down really hard and split his elbow open, so it was bleeding, but the scan came back negative, which was a good thing, but that'll be sore for a while.”

“We'll get an MRI tomorrow, just to make sure there wasn't anything else…but the bones are fine,” Spoelstra continued.

Heat's Nikola Jovic is a “warrior,” per Bam Adebayo

Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) exits the game with an apparent arm injury against the Toronto Raptors during the first quarter at Kaseya Center.
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Heat were hoping to see Jovic come out of a slump that had his playing time up-and-down throughout the past few weeks, though now the elbow injury marks a major setback, though there is no word on a potential timetable. But as Spoelstra said, Jovic's X-rays came back negative as he looks to get imaging on Tuesday.

Miami captain Bam Adebayo was happy to see Jovic in “great spirits,” though he admitted there was initial worry.

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“I mean, I was just impressed that he actually tried to dunk it, usually Niko tries to lay it up, but when you see guys start waving to the trainers to come get him, that's when you start to have worry that he's really in bad shape,” Adebayo said after recording 20 points and 10 rebounds. “But you know, Niko's a warrior. You know, I always say that he got that tough Serbian blood in him. For him to smile, obviously, that is a great sign. He's in great spirits, and wish we could've got that win for him.”

As Adebayo mentioned, the loss to Toronto was a forgettable one that saw the team score under 100 points for the first time this season, seeing their new offense being tested like never before, though they emphasize a fast pace and a high-scoring attack.

Heat's Norman Powell describes the scene of Nikola Jovic's injury

Though the Heat hope to hear encouraging news on Jovic's front in the near future, there's no denying he wants to come back stronger than ever, especially in the midst of a disappointing season. Miami's leading scorer in Norman Powell, initially didn't know what Jovic hurt until he saw “the puddle of blood” coming from his elbow, as he also mentioned how “positive” the 22-year-old was.

“I didn't know what he hurt at first, because it looked like his tailbone when he fell, and then going over there, seeing the puddle of blood coming from his arm, you know, then you start thinking he broke his arm, but luckily, he didn't,” Powell said after recording 20 points. “But I think he was in good spirits about it, which is always good.”

“He's always really positive to be around, and things like that, no matter what he's going through,” Powell continued. “So hopefully he could bounce back quickly, and he gets some good news from the docs, and he'll come back in a few weeks being able to help us.”

It remains to be seen when Jovic comes back, but Miami looks to snap the current five-game skid, which also includes them losing six of their last seven contests. The Heat now embarks on a three-game road trip starting Thursday against the Brooklyn Nets, but first, the team conducts a crucial practice on Wednesday.