The Miami Heat have an incredible opportunity to close out their second-round playoff series against the New York Knicks at home in Game 6 on Friday night.
Based on an injury report that has been released for the game, it looks like it’s going to be all hands on deck. Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo, who are both dealing with more serious injuries, will be out for the game.
However, everyone else looks ready to go.
Heat injury report for Friday vs. Knicks:
Available: Bam Adebayo (shoulder), Cody Zeller (nose).
Probable: Jimmy Butler (ankle), Haywood Highsmith (knee), Caleb Martin (back).
Out: Tyler Herro (hand), Victor Oladipo (knee).— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) May 11, 2023
The biggest names on the injury report for the Heat are Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The fact that Adebayo is listed as available and Butler is probable is incredible news for the Heat.
Both players are going to have to play at their best if the Heat want to close out the Knicks in Game 6.
So far in the series, Adebayo is putting up 17.8 points, 9.8 boards and 2.4 assists per game. He’s shooting 55.4 percent from the field.
As for Butler, he missed Game 2 with an ankle injury, but he hasn’t seemed hampered by the injury since.
He put up an impressive 25 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals in Game 1 of the series. He is averaging 24.7 points, 5.7 boards, 7.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks in the three games that he has played in since his Game 2 absence.
Behind Adebayo and Butler, the Heat have benefited greatly from the production of Max Strus, Kyle Lowry, Caleb Martin and Gabe Vincent. All four players of those players are also averaging double-digit points in the series so far.
Since a relatively weak showing in the play-in tournament last month, the Heat have looked like the playoff killers that fans have come to know and love in recent years.
They quickly dispatched of the No.1-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the series, and they are now just one win away from defeating the No. 5 seed Knicks.
Though the Heat have already proven an ability to win at Madison Square Garden by winning Game 1 of the series, they surely do not want to risk heading back there for a Game 7.
For that reason, Game 6 is surely being considered a must-win game within the Heat’s locker room.
Fans should expect the entire roster to be firing on all cylinders by the time the game gets underway on Friday evening.
