Injury update: Heat’s Jae Crowder will play and start in Game 2 vs. Pacers
Forward Jae Crowder will play and start Thursday in Game 2 of the Miami Heat’s first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers.
Crowder was listed as questionable on Wednesday’s injury report because of a sprained left ankle.
This news means the Heat will have its full rotation available for the second consecutive game to open the postseason.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra used a nine-man rotation in Tuesday’s Game 1 win over the Pacers. Goran Dragic, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Crowder and Bam Adebayo started the contest, with Tyler Herro, Andre Iguodala, Derrick Jones Jr. and Kelly Olynyk playing off the bench.
Crowder, 30, has become a fixture in Miami’s starting lineup since the team resumed the season at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista. He averaged 11.9 points while shooting 44.5 percent on threes, 5.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 20 regular-season games with the Heat after the Memphis Grizzlies traded him to Miami in February.
Crowder finished Game 1 of the series with eight points and five rebounds in 25 minutes, but he did not play in the fourth quarter.
Miami remained without rookies Gabe Vincent (right shoulder sprain) and KZ Okpala (personal reasons) on Thursday.
For the Pacers, guard Victor Oladipo (left eye contusion) will also play and start in Thursday’s contest. Oladipo left Game 1 in the first quarter and did not return after Crowder inadvertently poked him in the eye.
Indiana remained without All-Star center Domantas Sabonis (left foot plantar fasciitis) and wing Jeremy Lamb (torn left ACL) for Game 2.
This story was originally published August 20, 2020 at 12:34 PM.
