The Miami Heat will have to try to eliminate the Boston Celtics on Thursday night without Gabe Vincent, as the guard has been ruled out because of injury.
Development: Miami's Gabe Vincent is listed out for Game 5 vs. Boston tonight with an ankle sprain.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 25, 2023
Decision made this AM that sprain would be too limiting. https://t.co/IXJfMK992F
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) May 25, 2023
Prior to the official decision to hold Vincent out, the Heat had listed him as questionable. He suffered the left ankle injury during the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s Game 4.
A 116-99 victory by the Boston Celtics in Game 4 kept the Heat from completing a four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference Finals. Vincent had been a key part of Miami’s Game 3 blowout victory in Boston on Sunday night, when he poured in 29 points and hit on 11 of his 14 shot attempts.
That performance by Vincent was something of a surprise, considering his numbers during four seasons with the Heat. During that span of time, he’s averaged just 7.7 points, 2.3 assists and 1.7 rebounds per game.
However, Vincent has stepped up his game during the 2023 postseason. His efforts have been crucial after the potentially season-ending hand injury suffered by Tyler Herro in the Heat’s first playoff game last month.
Vincent’s 29-point performance stands as one of nine double-digit scoring efforts he’s delivered in the playoffs, the last coming on Tuesday night. Overall in these playoffs, he’s averaging 13.1 points per game.
The further depletion of the Heat’s backcourt now puts even more pressure on the tandem of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo to help clinch the Heat’s spot in the 2023 NBA Finals.
Thus far, Butler and Adebayo have done their part on the court, with Butler once again taking his game to a new level. Herro’s injury initially seemed like a death knell for the Heat in their first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, but it was Butler who came through with some huge performances to save the team.
Both Butler and Adebayo were part of the Heat team that navigated its way to the 2020 NBA Finals. The bitter end to that season came in a six-game series defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers.
That memory is something that Heat fans hope will fuel Butler and Adebayo to finish the job against the Celtics on Thursday night. If that happens, Vincent will have plenty of time to heal his ankle before the NBA Finals begin.
