The Miami Heat are going to be down several key players when they take on the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night.
Markieff Morris (neck), Tyler Herro (knee) and Dewayne Dedmon (personal) will all miss Thursday’s contest. Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin are both listed as questionable with ailments as well.
Heat injury report for Thursday night in Charlotte:
Oladipo, knee, outMorris, neck, out
Herro, knee, out
Dedmon, personal, out
Martin, Achilles, questionable
Smart, 2 way, out
Butler, shoulder, questionable
Haslem, eye, questionable
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) February 16, 2022
Miami is currently tied with the Chicago Bulls for the best record in the Eastern Conference, and Thursday’s matchup with the Hornets will be the team’s final game ahead of the All-Star break this coming weekend.
It will be important for the Heat to get Herro, Morris and Dedmon back, so it is not surprising that the team is keeping them out of Thursday’s contest. As for Butler and Martin, it is possible the team could hold one or both players out as a precaution.
Herro, who is having a career year in the 2021-22 season, has missed three of the team’s last four games. He is averaging 20.0 points per game this season while shooting 42.7 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from 3-point range.
Players like Herro and Dedmon have been integral for Miami this season with Butler and Bam Adebayo missing time.
The Heat have been able to weather the storm of injuries to some of their best players with a “next man up” mentality, and it’s a major reason why they are atop the Eastern Conference.
The Heat have won both of their previous matchups with the Hornets this season. The two teams are scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. EST on Thursday night.
