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It looks like the Miami Heat will have their work cut out for them as they try and get back into the win column against the Oklahoma City Thunder. A total of 10 Heat players were named to the team’s injury report ahead of the January 10 game.
The only players on Miami’s roster that were not named to the injury report were Jimmy Butler, Max Strus, Haywood Highsmith, Victor Oladipo, Orlando Robinson, and Jamal Cain. Butler is the only member of the traditional Heat starting lineup who will dress for the nationally televised game against the Thunder. Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry, and Caleb Martin were all reported to be out.
Adebayo had injured his right wrist against the Brooklyn Nets on January 8. He had initially been listed as questionable for the Thunder game, but was then downgraded to out.
Herro was also listed as questionable before being downgraded to out. He slipped and fell during the final play against Brooklyn and is now sidelined with a sore left Achilles.
Both Lowry and Martin are dealing with issues in their left legs, with Lowry suffering from left knee discomfort and Martin battling a strained left quadriceps.
According to spotrac.com, the Heat have suffered from the second-most missed games due to injury in the league this year at 161.
Butler, Oladipo, and Gabe Vincent have all been sidelined for at least 10 games due to various injuries.
NBA: Officials Made Correct Decision on Final Play of Heat Loss Against Nets
In addition to leaving Herro hobbled, the final play of the January 8 Heat loss against the Brooklyn Nets created some controversy. As the seconds ticked down, Butler drove into contact on the final possession and missed a game-winning attempt in the paint. The referees swallowed the whistle as Butler slammed into the contesting Royce O’Neal.
Of course, fans got riled up about the no-call, but they weren’t the only ones to be upset. Head Coach Erik Spoelstra fired off some criticism towards the officials after the game.
“I thought Jimmy just made the absolute right play. I think in this game alone he could’ve six to eight more free throw attempts…I don’t think he (O’Neale) was vertical. I don’t think he was set,” Spoelstra said. “That earned the right to go to the free throw line and see if he could’ve won the game.”
The day after, the NBA released its official “Last Two Minute Report” for Miami’s matchup against Brooklyn. After every close game, the league goes through the final two minutes of play and decides whether or not the referees made the correct calls.
According to the report, the officials were justified to not blow the whistle during the final sequence.
“O’Neale jumps verticality and absorbs the oncoming contact from Butler on his driving shot attempt,” the league wrote.
Heat’s Helping Hand for Bam Adebayo
There was a sliver lining for the Heat from their tough loss to the Nets. Spoelstra elected to give Robinson, the rookie-center, some extra minutes instead of playing Dewayne Dedmon. The rookie made good use of his time, scoring 6 points and grabbing 9 rebounds, all while being a game-high +24.
The Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman, highlighted the change in his game recap.
“A Heat subtext, was how Erik Spoelstra handled the Heat’s situation at backup center. No, not nearly the sexiest aspect of the one, which might have been as compelling as anything for the Heat this season. But Dewayne Dedmon, listed as available, did not play, and Orlando Robinson did and played quite well,” Winderman wrote.
He also explained how the change could give the team a spark going forward.
“The Heat have not been good with Dedmon this season and were quite good with Robinson in this one. That matters because (Bam) Adebayo deserves a break, which Robinson provided Sunday,” Winderman continued.
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