The Miami Heat have released their injury report for Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks.
Heat injury report for Sunday 1 p.m. vs. Hawks:
Gabe Vincent (toe), probable
P.J. Tucker (calf), questionable
Markieff Morris (hip), questionable
Dewayne Dedmon (ankle), questionable
Haywood Highsmith (hip), questionable
(Tucker said today he will play.)— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) April 16, 2022
Among the five players listed on the injury report is P.J. Tucker, who started in all but one of his 71 appearances during the regular season. During those games, he recorded averages of 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
Gabe Vincent’s likely availability will provide the Heat’s backcourt with some depth. He averaged 8.7 points, 3.1 assists and 1.9 rebounds per contest during the regular season.
Markieff Morris began playing again last month after being out since November. He hasn’t been able to regain his spot in the Heat’s rotation.
If he were to play, Dewayne Dedmon would be able to give the Heat some support in the frontcourt, having averaged 5.8 rebounds per game in the regular season. He started in 15 of his 67 appearances.
Finally, Haywood Highsmith only played in 19 games for the Heat in the regular season and offered limited production during his appearances. Having him back would be another case of offering depth, though he likely wouldn’t see much action unless the game becomes a blowout.
Earlier on Saturday, Bam Adebayo was cleared to play in Game 1 after a stint in the league’s health and safety protocols.
Until Friday night, the Heat weren’t sure who their opponent would be in the first round. The Hawks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road to make it to the playoffs.
As the top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Heat are in a solid position to make a deep playoff run. Knocking off the Hawks on Sunday would be a great first step toward achieving that goal.
