Nikola Jovic clarifies comments made to Serbian media. Also, Herro update and Heat injury report

When Miami Heat second-year forward Nikola Jovic woke up Sunday morning, he didn’t believe the messages on his phone.

That’s because comments he made the night before during an interview with Serbian media following Saturday’s road loss to the Brooklyn Nets about his role and situation with the Heat were being misrepresented and taken out of context.

“Coming from Europe, I don’t even use Twitter, so I’m not even looking at what’s happening on Twitter,” Jovic, 20, said. “When they first called me, I was laughing because I thought they were joking. Then when I looked it up, it was actually looking bad. I knew that was not me. I feel like people know that’s not me.”

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So, Jovic made sure to clarify those comments that he insists were lost in translation.

“I never guessed it was going to end up like that,” Jovic said following Monday’s practice at Kaseya Center. “The things I said are totally different. I said a couple of those things in different ways.”

Among the comments from the interview, which was translated from Serbian to English on Reddit, that Jovic says have been misrepresented are:

On being out of the Heat’s rotation: “It’s not easy, it’s really not easy. It’s even harder for me than last year. I mean, I kind of feel like I can play and I deserve it. They think I’m not ready yet and I totally understand. There is nothing there. I don’t know where this is going, and all I’m trying to do is be on the field as much as possible. Somehow, even when I’m playing, I feel like maybe I’m being misused. I hope that some things will change.”

On being used as a center in the G League and by the Heat recently: “Everything I’m good at, they don’t seem to use, and what I’m worse at, they seem to force it. Those things make me not feel the best on the pitch. What do I know, it will get better.”

Jovic stood in front of reporters Monday on the Heat’s practice court and made it known in his second language, English, that those weren’t the words he used.

“I’m going to say it again, so you guys don’t need to translate it and nobody is going to make it up,” Jovic said Monday. “Basically what I said, this team is playing great without me and minute-wise I don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. This team is playing great, so there’s no point of even playing me right now. And I get it, I totally get it. So that was the first thing.

“The second thing I said is I was talking about the G League. G League, playing wise, we don’t have a five so I’m playing the five. Sometimes it’s not easy to play the things that you’re not good at. If I was playing the four, I would probably be a lot better. That’s basically it.”

Jovic then expressed his frustration with Serbian media.

“I know they’re going to translate it and you guys are not concerned about Serbian media a lot, but they love to do that,” Jovic said. “A lot of fake rumors. You guys talk to me a lot, you know I would never say something like that. Just know that I respect everybody here. I’ve said a million times, everything they do for me is great and I’m going to get better here. I’m going to get better with them and that’s it. I would never disrespect anyone like that. If I ever had a problem with anyone, I would talk to them personally.”

Jovic has played in just three games with the Heat this season after beginning his second NBA season out of the rotation.

Jovic’s third and most recent appearance of the season came in Saturday’s loss to the Nets, when the Heat was missing several key players. Jovic’s minutes were shaky, as he finished with one point on 0-of-3 shooting from the field and 1-of-2 shooting from the foul line, six rebounds, five assists and five fouls in 17 minutes off the bench for the short-handed Heat.

Jovic, who the Heat drafted with the 27th overall pick last year, also played in three G League games with the organization’s developmental affiliate before rejoining the Heat over the weekend. During Jovic’s recent three-game stint in the G League, he averaged 16.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and four assists per game while shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 8 of 17 (47.1 percent) from three-point range for the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

“No,” Jovic said when asked Monday whether there’s any level of frustration about his lack of playing time with the Heat. “Of course, I want to play and I will help this team as much as I can ... But this team was playing great. Before the injuries, we were top three in the East, which we should be there. The guys without me are playing unbelievably good, and I support them like last year and they should stay like that.”

INJURY REPORT

The Heat ruled out Tyler Herro (right ankle sprain), Dru Smith (season-ending ACL injury) and R.J. Hampton (right knee sprain) for Tuesday’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks at Kaseya Center.

Herro, who’s averaging a team-high 22.9 points per game this season, will miss his 10th straight game on Tuesday after spraining his ankle during the Heat’s Nov. 8 road win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Herro did not take part in Monday’s practice, but he was seen putting up shots alongside Heat assistant coaches following practice.

The expectation is Herro will miss at least another week before returning to game action after his ankle was re-evaluated over the weekend.

“It’s trending in the right direction,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said when asked about Herro’s status after Monday’s practice.

As for the Heat’s other injured players: Bam Adebayo (left hip contusion) and Duncan Robinson (right thumb sprain) are probable to play on Tuesday, and Jimmy Butler (right ankle sprain) and Haywood Highsmith (lower back contusion) are questionable.

In addition, center Orlando Robinson rejoined the Heat on Monday after a brief stint in the G League with the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

The Bucks listed Khris Middleton (left Achilles tendinitis) as questionable to play Tuesday in Miami. Milwaukee ruled out Marques Bolden, Jae Crowder, TyTy Washington Jr. and Lindell Wigginton.