The Miami Heat will look to avoid their third loss in four games when they take on the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night, but Miami will be without a couple of its key contributors against one of the hottest teams in the Western Conference.
The Heat have ruled out Kevin Love and Jaime Jaquez Jr. for their upcoming contest. Jaquez is reportedly dealing with a stomach illness, while Love will be sidelined for conditioning reasons.
Kevin Love (conditioning) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (stomach illness) both out for Heat on Wednesday in Phoenix. Love traveled; Jaquez did not. The expectation is Love will be available at some point during trip and Jaquez will join team during trip.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) November 5, 2024
Starting with Jaquez, he has seen his scoring average and efficiency dip in his second NBA season compared to his first one. Through five games played in the 2024-25 regular season, he is averaging 9.4 points per game while shooting 37.8 percent from the floor.
But on the bright side, he has seemingly upped his effectiveness as a rebounder compared to a season ago. He has been one of Miami’s more reliable rebounders so far, as he’s pulling down 7.6 per game, which ranks as the second-most of any player on the Heat behind Bam Adebayo.
Love, on the other hand, has yet to make his season debut with the Heat, but he made an impact as a rebounder and 3-point shooter last season. He averaged 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 made 3s per game across 55 appearances for Miami during the 2023-24 regular season.
When factoring in how well the Suns have played of late, the Heat could be in for a long night on Wednesday sans Jaquez or Love in the lineup. Phoenix is riding a five-game winning streak at the moment, the second-longest streak of any team in the Western Conference.
The Suns haven’t lost a game since Oct. 25, and the play of Kevin Durant is a big reason why that’s the case. Durant is 36 years old, yet he remains one of the NBA’s premier offensive players. In his third season as a member of the Suns, he’s averaging 27.1 points per game on 54.8 percent shooting from the field and 43.6 percent from 3-point range.
