Heat without three rotation players vs. Knicks — Jaquez, Jovic and Wiggins out
The Miami Heat will be without three rotation players for Sunday’s home game against the New York Knicks.
The Heat ruled out Jaime Jaquez Jr. (sprained right ankle) and Andrew Wiggins (sprained right ankle) for Sunday’s matchup against the Knicks. Both Jaquez and Wiggins were listed as doubtful before they were formally ruled out.
The Heat also remains without Nikola Jovic (broken right hand).
It marks the first game that Jaquez has missed since turning his ankle early in the second half of Friday’s win over the Indiana Pacers. Jaquez left that game immediately after hurting his ankle and didn’t return, with X-rays returning negative.
“He’s in good spirits,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Jaquez’s ankle injury before Sunday’s game against the Knicks. “This one looked really bad on video. But he’s sprained his ankle so many times. He’s walking around OK. We’ll just have to see how he responds.”
It marks the second straight game that Wiggins has missed with his sprained ankle after turning it early in Wednesday’s win over the Atlanta Hawks. Wiggins was able to play on the ankle and finish Wednesday’s contest, but he has now missed two straight games because of the injury.
“He wants to be out there,” Spoelstra said of Wiggins. “He loves the competitive feel of these last couple games. But we have to be smart about it. He’s been very diligent with his work and we’ll get him back soon.”
It marks the fourth straight game that Jovic has missed with his broken hand. He’s set to be re-evaluated in three weeks.
The Heat closes its four-game homestand Monday against the Washington Wizards (7:30 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Sun) on the second night of a back-to-back set after taking on the Knicks on Sunday. It remains to be seen whether Jaquez and/or Wiggins will be able to return for that contest.
The Heat is also without Josh Christopher (G League), Keshad Johnson (G League), Nikola Jovic (broken right hand), Dru Smith (Achilles surgery) and Isaiah Stevens (G League) against the Knicks.
The Knicks have their full regular rotation available against the Heat.
This story was originally published March 2, 2025 at 4:23 PM.
