Giannis Antetokounmpo is available for the Miami Heat’s game against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday despite a right wrist sprain.
The NBA’s 4 p.m. ET injury report lists Antetokounmpo as available, giving Miami its star forward for the second night of a back-to-back. Tre Donaldson and Vladislav Goldin are out because of their G League two-way assignments.
Golden State will be without Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, Kristaps Porzingis and Gui Santos. Butler is recovering from right ACL surgery, Moody from left patellar tendon surgery and Santos has left knee tendinitis. Porzingis is listed as not with the team.
| Team | Player | Status | Injury or reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Available | Right wrist sprain |
| Heat | Tre Donaldson | Out | G League — two-way assignment |
| Heat | Vladislav Goldin | Out | G League — two-way assignment |
| Warriors | Jimmy Butler | Out | Right ACL repair/surgery |
| Warriors | Moses Moody | Out | Left patellar tendon repair/surgery |
| Warriors | Kristaps Porzingis | Out | Not with team |
| Warriors | Gui Santos | Out | Left knee tendinitis |
Source: NBA injury report issued Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. ET. Statuses are subject to change before tipoff.
The two Miami absences are assignment-related rather than injury designations. Neither entry indicates that Donaldson or Goldin has been ruled out because of a physical issue.
The Warriors’ list also requires a distinction between medical absences and an absence for another reason. Porzingis’ entry does not give an injury diagnosis; it identifies his separation from the team as the reason he will not play.
Butler, Moody and Santos have specific medical reasons attached to their designations. These are participation statuses, not a starting-lineup announcement.
The report does not identify who will replace Golden State’s unavailable players or which five Spoelstra will send out first.
The matchup is scheduled for 10 p.m. EST at Chase Center.
Giannis’ availability follows taped-wrist appearance
Antetokounmpo’s availability follows a demanding Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. He entered that game as probable with the wrist injury before playing in Miami’s 117-116 overtime victory.
Antetokounmpo had substantial tape on the wrist with an additional wrap over it. That observation made his status for the following night worth watching, particularly with the Heat traveling to San Francisco between games.
Giannis' sprained right wrist was heavily taped after the game tonight. He also wore a wrap on top of the tape on his wrist.
He was listed as probable for tonight's game vs. Clippers before being cleared to play. Heat back at it tomorrow vs. Warriors in San Francisco.
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) November 5, 2026
The designation answers whether the Heat expect him to play. It does not establish that the sprain has resolved nor specifies a minutes restriction.
For fans who saw Miami absent from an earlier injury roundup, the timing of the team’s submission is relevant. Under the NBA’s reporting rules, teams playing the second game of a back-to-back must provide their participation information by 1 p.m. local time that day.
An earlier preview without Miami’s statuses therefore should not be read as a definitive statement about the roster. Thursday’s afternoon report supplies the specific answer on Antetokounmpo.
Heat retain a key part of their late-game offense
Antetokounmpo finished the Clippers game with 27 points and 14 rebounds while shooting 8-of-20 from the field.
Bam Adebayo scored 35 points on 14-of-20 shooting, while Klay Thompson supplied 30 points and made 8-of-17 attempts from beyond the arc.
Antetokounmpo also contributed to two important overtime sequences. He blocked Rui Hachimura from behind and subsequently found Thompson for a tying corner 3-pointer.
On the final play, Adebayo screened for Thompson and Antetokounmpo delivered the inbound pass for the winning basket.
KLAY MF’IN THOMPSON pic.twitter.com/bvTcC4kwfV
— Heat Nation (@HeatNationCom) November 5, 2026
Those plays illustrate why his availability affects more than Miami’s scoring total. Against the Clippers, he could end one possession defensively and help create the next shot, then take a different role as the inbound passer with the game at stake.
Keeping that option available gives Erik Spoelstra continuity after a finish that required contributions from all three players. It also allows Miami to carry the successful late-game actions into its next matchup without immediately replacing a central participant.
Thompson accounted for eight of Miami’s 10 made 3-pointers Wednesday. The rest of the team combined to go 2-of-23 from deep, a reminder that the winning shot did not represent a strong team shooting night.
The takeaway for Thursday is narrower than declaring the offense fixed: Miami found enough production through different roles to survive, and Antetokounmpo remains available to help connect those roles.
Availability does not settle Miami’s defensive questions
The Heat’s larger challenge remains building a defense that works consistently across an entire game.
Earlier this week, Adebayo identified communication and trust problems after the loss to the Lakers, explaining that fatigue was followed by quieter possessions and mistakes.
That concern is especially relevant to a second consecutive game. Adebayo’s explanation was about maintaining responsibilities as a game becomes demanding, rather than simply having capable individual defenders available.
Antetokounmpo being cleared preserves an important defensive option, but it does not answer whether the Heat will communicate through switches, recoveries and the possessions after a mistake.
Those are separate questions from the injury report. Spoelstra made the broader priority clear after the Clippers game. He contrasted this group’s early problems with the original Big 3 team’s adjustment period.
“This is how our season started,” Spoelstra said. “Our defense has been poor and we’ve paid the price for it and now we have to dig ourselves out of this hole and build this defense. And do it day after day after day. It’s not like the challenge automatically becomes easy tomorrow.”
His assessment was that the current group had shown encouraging offensive production earlier than expected, while its defense needed substantially more work. The comparison offered no suggestion that a familiar slow start would automatically produce a familiar recovery.
For Miami, Thursday provides another chance to test whether the communication Adebayo wants can hold up on a quick turnaround. Antetokounmpo’s available status means that test can include him alongside Adebayo, with the wrist still listed on the report and the defensive work still unfinished.
