Kyle Lowry again out because of personal reasons, and rest of Heat’s updated injury report
The Miami Heat will again have to overcome starting point guard Kyle Lowry’s absence.
Lowry will miss Monday’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls at FTX Arena because of the same personal reasons that kept him out for nine straight games over two weeks from Jan. 17 through Feb. 1. There is no timetable for his return.
The Heat posted a 5-4 record during that first extended stretch without Lowry.
If Lowry is not able to return in the coming days, the Eastern Conference-leading Heat will face some of the East’s best without him. After hosting the second-place Bulls on Monday, the Heat then has a road back-to-back set against the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday and against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday before returning home to take on Joel Embiid, James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.
Gabe Vincent started in Lowry’s place at point guard in each of the first nine games he missed because of personal reasons.
Along with missing Lowry, the Heat will be without Markieff Morris (return to competition reconditioning), Victor Oladipo (G League assignment) and Javonte Smart (G League) on Monday against the Bulls. Caleb Martin is listed as questionable with lingering left Achilles soreness that forced him to miss five of the final seven games before the All-Star break.
Oladipo has yet to play this season as he continues to work his way back from May surgery to repair the quadriceps tendon in his right knee. This marks the second time in recent weeks that Oladipo has been sent to the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, to take part in five-on-five court work, but he is not expected to play in any G League games.
Oladipo is scheduled to rejoin the Heat in Milwaukee for Wednesday’s game against the Bucks, but it’s still undetermined when he’ll make his season debut. Multiple league sources confirmed an ESPN report that the hope is Oladipo, who has not played in an NBA game since April 8, will be able to return to game action within the next two weeks.
That could have Oladipo back during the Heat’s season-long seven-game homestand that spans from Saturday through March 18.
The Bulls ruled out Lonzo Ball (left knee meniscus tear), Alex Caruso (right wrist fracture), Tyler Cook (G League), Marko Simonovic (G League) and Patrick Williams (left wrist ligament tear) for Monday’s game in Miami. Nikola Vucevic is listed as probable with a left ankle sprain.
