The Miami Heat updated their injury report for Thursday’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, and it looks like the team will have Bam Adebayo back in the lineup.
Adebayo is listed as probable with a wrist injury after he missed the team’s win on Tuesday night over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
However, Tyler Herro (Achilles), Kyle Lowry (knee) and Caleb Martin (quad) will all miss Thursday’s game.
#MILvsMIA INJURY UPDATE: Tyler Herro (Achilles), Kyle Lowry (knee) & Caleb Martin (quad) have all been ruled out of tomorrow night’s game vs the Bucks.
Bam Adebayo (wrist) is listed as probable.
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) January 11, 2023
The return of Adebayo will be crucial for the Heat as they try to match up with MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Heat were able to sneak away with a win on Tuesday behind a monster game from Jimmy Butler (35 points, seven rebounds, four assists). The Heat also shot an NBA record 40-for-40 from the free-throw line in the win.
Injuries have been a major concern for the Heat this season, as Herro, Lowry, Adebayo, Butler, Victor Oladipo, Duncan Robinson, Gabe Vincent, Martin and others have missed time with different ailments.
It’s made things tough on the Heat early in the season, especially as they try to build chemistry with a new starting lineup now that P.J. Tucker is with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Even with all the injuries, the Heat are still over .500 on the season. They currently have a 22-20 record and hold the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference.
With Herro and Lowry out, the Heat will likely rely more on Vincent, Max Strus and Oladipo on the offensive end.
Strus scored 22 points in the win over the Thunder on Tuesday, and Oladipo played one of the best games of his season, scoring 19 points and adding four rebounds and four assists. His play garnered some praise from Butler following the team’s win.
The Bucks are one of the better teams in the East this season, but they will be playing the second game of a back-to-back when they face off with Miami on Thursday. Milwaukee is in Atlanta on Wednesday night to face Dejounte Murray and the Atlanta Hawks.
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra will have his work cut out for him against the Bucks, but it is a positive that he will likely have his defensive anchor in Adebayo to control that end of the floor.
The Heat and Bucks are scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. EST on Thursday night in Miami.
