Shorthanded Heat to have 13 available vs. Pistons. Who’s in and who’s out?
For the first time in a week, the Miami Heat will enter a game with more than the NBA minimum of eight available players.
After playing the past two games — two road losses to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday and Thursday — with just eight available players because of COVID-19 issues, the Heat is expected to have 13 available players for Saturday night’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons at AmericanAirlines Arena.
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Six of the eight Heat players who missed the past two games because of the league’s health and safety protocols will return against the Pistons: Bam Adebayo, Goran Dragic, Moe Harkless, Udonis Haslem, Kendrick Nunn and KZ Okpala will be available.
Gabe Vincent (right knee soreness), who was listed as questionable, will also be available Saturday.
But Heat second-year guard Tyler Herro (neck spasms) will miss Saturday’s game. Herro has averaged a team-high 17.6 points this season.
In addition, Heat All-Star wing Jimmy Butler and veteran guard Avery Bradley have been ruled out for the third consecutive game because of the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols. Center Meyers Leonard will also miss Saturday’s contest because of a left shoulder strain.
The Heat’s 13 available players against the Pistons are Precious Achiuwa, Duncan Robinson, Kelly Olynyk, Andre Iguodala, Chris Silva, Max Strus, Adebayo, Dragic, Harkless, Haslem, Nunn, Okpala and Vincent.
The expectation this week has been that Heat players who have been held out because of contact tracing could potentially play in Saturday’s game if they continue to return negative tests. At least one Heat player tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days.
The team did not identify who tested positive for COVID-19.
With the clock starting this past weekend with the postponement of Sunday’s Heat-Boston Celtics game, players who are determined to be close contacts are expected to be sidelined for seven days in most cases. Players who test positive for the virus likely have to miss at least about two weeks.
Following Saturday’s game, the Heat again hosts the Pistons on Monday at 3 p.m. before beginning a four-game trip on Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors in Tampa.
The NBA has postponed 13 games since the Dec. 22 start of the season because of the league’s health and safety protocols, and 12 postponements have come since Sunday.
