Heat without Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler vs. Thunder. Here’s the latest on their injuries
The Miami Heat will be without two very important starters in Monday night’s road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Both Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler have been ruled out.
The Heat will be without Butler for the third straight game because of a sprained right ankle. But Monday marks the first game during Miami’s West Coast trip that Adebayo has missed because of a left knee bruise.
The hope is that Butler will be able to return when the Heat returns home to face the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday at FTX Arena. And it seems that the team is simply taking a proactive approach with Adebayo’s lingering knee bruise.
“Our schedule has been pretty intensive and he hasn’t had any opportunity for it to really get better,” coach Erik Spoelstra said of Adebayo before Monday’s game, which marks the end of the Heat’s five-game trip. “It hasn’t gotten worse, but he hasn’t gotten better. So we’ll just continue to treat him and evaluate him.”
Adebayo has been dealing with a bruised left knee for the past two weeks and missed the Heat’s road win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 30 because of the injury. He was listed as questionable for Saturday’s game in Salt Lake City but ultimately played to record 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists despite swelling in his knee.
Adebayo’s injury stems back to a knee-to-knee collision early in the season, and Spoelstra said “he hit it again” during the Heat’s current trip.
Butler sprained his right ankle early in Wednesday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center and has not played since the first quarter of that game.
The Heat played four games last season without both Adebayo and Butler and posted a 2-2 record.
Tyler Herro again started in Butler’s place and Dedmon started in Adebayo’s spot against the Thunder.
Miami will also will take on Oklahoma City without Marcus Garrett (right wrist tendinitis) Victor Oladipo (right knee injury recovery) and Markieff Morris (whiplash).
Garrett, who is on a two-way contract, joined the Heat in Oklahoma City for Monday’s game but will not play. He has spent the past few weeks playing for the organization’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
The Thunder ruled out Derrick Favors (rest) for Monday’s contest. Darius Bazley (plantar fasciitis) is listed as questionable.
This story was originally published November 15, 2021 at 6:54 PM.
