The Miami Heat received yet another frustrating injury when forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. left the team’s 125-115 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 3 early.
Jaquez left the game with a sprained right ankle after stepping on the foot of Timberwolves forward Julius Randle. Jaquez spoke after the game about the severity of his injury.
“I think I tweaked it a little bit on his (Randle’s) foot,” Jaquez said. “Tried to tape it up, go back … just wasn’t feeling right.”
The Heat are playing in the first game of a back-to-back. They host the New Orleans Pelicans on January 4. Whether Jaquez will suit up is likely going to be a game-time decision.
“I gotta see in the morning,” Jaquez said. “These things take time to heal. Kind of like what happened last time when I had this little tweak. You really know the next day. The next day is a good indicator of where you sit.”
Jaquez finished the game with 6 points and 3 rebounds in 10 minutes. Jaquez finished the game with a plus/minus of +8 despite the 10-point loss.
Miami Heat Head Coach addressed Jaquez’s injury in his post-game press conference, hinting at optimism about the severity of the injury.
“We’ll find out, you never know with these things until the next day,” Spoelstra said. “I mean, he’s not walking out of here in a boot, but I don’t know if that’s an indication of anything.”
The Miami Heat had Multiple Injuries During the Game
GettyNorman Powell left the game early before returning for the Miami Heat.
Jaime Jaquez was the only Miami Heat player to not return to the game, but multiple Heat players sustained injuries.
Guard Norman Powell left the game early in the first quarter with right leg soreness, before later returning. He finished with 25 minutes, his least amount of minutes played in a game since November 21.
“He trusts his body and knows his body better than anybody,” Erik Spoelstra said . “He said he was good and passed the protocols once he got back to the locker room.”
Heat forward Nikola Jovic appeared to sustain an injury to his groin when he was kneed while trying to block a shot. Despite limping around the court, he was not given an official injury designation.
Injuries have been a theme for the Heat this season, with various key players missing time at one point.
Guards Tyler Herro and Pelle Larsson both missed the game with injuries, and Herro has no timetable for his return.
Larsson was listed as questionable but was ruled out before game time. Larsson may play against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Miami Heat’s Win Streak Comes to an End
GettyThe Miami Heat had won four straight games before losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
If an injury to a Sixth Man of the Year award candidate wasn’t bad enough, the Miami Heat’s four-game win streak also came to an end.
The game was competitive, with the Heat leading 74-73 as late as 3:48 in the third quarter. However, the Timberwolves used a dominant fourth quarter to pull away.
“It was a couple stagnant plays and turnovers,” Heat center Bam Adebayo said . “In order to be great, you have to keep your turnovers down.”
The team has the chance to get back on track on January 4 against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans have the worst record in the Western Conference at 8-28.
The Pelicans have also lost six games in a row.
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