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While the Miami Heat dropped Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals to the Denver Nuggets by double digits — and trailed for almost the entirety of the contest — there’s reason to believe that Jimmy Butler‘s crew will make a bigger push for the win in Game 2.
After all, the Heat will be coming in with an additional day of rest, and they’ll also be an additional day removed from traveling to Denver. Moreover, there’s optimism that the club will be able to improve upon its 40.6% conversion rate from the field (and 33.3% from three-point land) in Game 1.
Having said that, there’s a chance that Miami may have to sharpen its perimeter attack without one of the breakout performers of the current postseason in forward Caleb Martin.
Per the latest official injury report, Martin is questionable to participate in Game 2 due to illness.
Caleb Martin Did Not Attend the Heat’s Saturday Practice
Although he struggled mightily in the series opener against Nikola Jokic and Co., missing six of his seven field-goal attempts and scoring just three points (while logging a minus-10 in the plus/minus column), the Heat probably wouldn’t be where they are right now without Martin’s contributions on the offensive end.
During the Heat’s series-clincher over the Boston Celtics back on May 29, the 27-year-old scored 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting overall and 4-of-6 from behind the arc. In 19 total appearances in the current playoffs, Martin is averaging 13.5 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 54.9% from the floor and 44.0% from deep.
Per an announcement from the team on Saturday morning, Martin wasn’t even in attendance for practice due to his illness, leading to his questionable status.
With Martin potentially on the shelf as the Heat try to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole, one cannot help but wonder whether high-scoring guard Tyler Herro could make his return to the court on Sunday. For his part, though, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had little to say about the baller’s progression toward a comeback.
Erik Spoelstra Sounds Off on a Potential Tyler Herro Return
Asked whether we might see Herro — who averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game with 44-38-93 shooting splits during the regular season — could be back in the mix for Game 2, Spoelstra refrained from offering any kind of update.
“The status has not changed yet,” Spoelstra said during his Saturday session with reporters, via the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “I’m not trying to be elusive about that. I don’t know where that report came out that he was playing Game 2 … All we are focused on right now is his process, continuing to do work and get prepared. Whenever that timeline is, where he’s ready to go, I’ll let you know.”
Herro has missed virtually all of Miami’s unlikely playoff run, having suffered a broken hand during Game 1 of the team’s first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, an injury that ultimately required surgery.
“We’re doing this game-by-game,” Spoelstra added regarding the team’s approach with Herro. “I’ll let you know [Sunday]. The status hasn’t changed. You can read into that.”
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