The Miami Heat will travel to Southern California to take on the new-look Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday without one of their key reserves.
Forward Markieff Morris will sit out, and the team could be without additional players as well.
Morris was the recipient of a violent cheap shot by Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic on Tuesday night. It came in the final minutes of a dismal performance by the Heat.
Afterward, words were exchanged on social media by not only Jokic and Morris, but even by their brothers.
With the exception of Jimmy Butler, everyone played poorly on the offensive end for Miami, leading to a blowout loss.
When Morris was leveled by Jokic, the Heat big man’s neck snapped backward, and a stretcher was brought onto the court in an abundance of caution, although Morris got up and walked under his own power.
At 7-3, Miami can still hold its head up high, as it is tied for second-place in the Eastern Conference.
With the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks struggling to start the season, Miami can really put pressure on the rest of the conference and eliminate any remaining doubts that it is a true title contender.