Heat without three starters — Butler, Lowry, Tucker — vs. Nets in fifth game in seven nights
With the Miami Heat playing its fifth game in seven nights, the Heat’s injury list is long.
The Heat will be without Jimmy Butler (left big toe irritation), Kyle Lowry (personal reasons), Markieff Morris (return to competition reconditioning), Victor Oladipo (right knee injury recovery) and P.J. Tucker (left knee pain) on Thursday night against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on the second night of a back-to-back. Miami suffered a painful 120-119 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday despite leading by 14 points with 7:12 left in the fourth quarter.
Caleb Martin (left Achilles soreness) and Max Strus (right shoulder sprain) were both listed as questionable, but are expected to be available against the Nets.
The Heat remains without Lowry, Morris and Oladipo, but Butler and Tucker are new additions to the injury report. Butler played 35 minutes and Tucker played 27 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Bucks.
Without Butler, Lowry and Tucker, the Heat will be missing three of its five usual starters against the Nets.
With so many players unavailable in Brooklyn, the Heat recalled two-way contract guard Javonte Smart from the G League for Thursday’s game.
This leaves the Heat with 12 available players in Brooklyn: Bam Adebayo, Dewayne Dedmon, Kyle Guy, Udonis Haslem, Tyler Herro, Haywood Highsmith, Martin, Duncan Robinson, Smart, Strus, Gabe Vincent and Omer Yurtseven.
Butler’s injury is not expected to keep him out for an extended stretch. The hope is he’ll be able to play on Saturday when the Heat returns home to face the Philadelphia 76ers.
Meanwhile, Nets superstar Kevin Durant is making his return from a sprained left MCL to play Thursday against the Heat. Durant missed the last 21 games because of the injury, with the Nets posting a 5-16 record during that time.
Brooklyn will be without Joe Harris (left ankle surgery), Kyrie Irving (ineligible to play) and Ben Simmons (return to competition reconditioning) against Miami.
