Heat even more short-handed entering elimination game in Boston. Jaquez ruled out for Game 5
As if the Miami Heat’s injury issues weren’t bad enough, they just got worse.
With the eighth-seeded Heat down 3-1 in its best-of-7 first-round playoff series against the top-seeded Boston Celtics and facing elimination, rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been ruled out for Game 5 on Wednesday at TD Garden (7:30 p.m., Bally Sports Sun and TNT).
Jaquez hurt his hip during the Heat’s 102-88 loss to the Celtics on Monday night at Kaseya Center in Game 4 when he “felt something give in the beginning of the third quarter going up for a rebound.” He tried to keep playing, but eventually left the game with 1:19 left in the third quarter and did not return.
As series returns to Boston, depleted Heat facing ‘significant challenge’ to keep season alive
“I think just take it day by day,” Jaquez said following Game 4 when asked about the hip injury before being ruled out for Game 5. “This is something definitely a little new. I don’t think I’ve had an injury up here before. But like I said, day by day.”
The Heat also remains without Jimmy Butler (sprained MCL), Terry Rozier (neck spasms) and Josh Richardson (shoulder surgery) for Game 5. The rest of Miami’s roster is expected to be available on Wednesday in Boston, including Duncan Robinson despite a lingering back injury that has limited him during the series.
With Jaquez unavailable, the Heat will be forced to make another change to its starting lineup. Jaquez has started in place of the injured Butler in each of the first four games of the series.
Jaquez, 23, is the Heat’s third-leading scorer in the series behind only Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. Jaquez is averaging 12.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and three assists per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the field and 3 of 13 (23.1 percent) from three-point range during first playoff series of his NBA career.
Butler, Jaquez, Rozier and Richardson did not travel with the Heat to Boston for Wednesday’s elimination game.
As for the Celtics, they will be without starting center Kristaps Porzingis for Game 5 after he left Game 4 early a calf injury. Porzingis will miss Wednesday’s game with a right soleus strain, but the rest of Boston’s roster is expected to be available.
A DEAD-BALL FLAGRANT
After Heat guard Patty Mills was called for a common foul for pushing Celtics guard Derrick White late in Game 4, Adebayo was called for a Flagrant 1 foul.
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum put up a three-point shot after the foul was called and the whistle had blown. But Adebayo still stepped forward and put his arm up to contest the dead-ball shot, stepping in Tatum’s landing zone.
As a result, Tatum landed on Adebayo’s foot and turned his left ankle. Tatum immediately fell to the court in pain and grabbed his ankle, forcing the officials to review the play and eventually call the Flagrant 1 foul on Adebayo with 5:04 left in Monday’s fourth quarter.
Tatum was able to finish Game 4 despite the ankle tweak and is not on the injury report for Game 5.
“I don’t even know,” a frustrated Adebayo said when asked for the explanation he received from the officials regarding the Flagrant 1 foul. “We’re just going to move on from that or you’re just going to get me fined.”
Tatum said he was “mad” after the play because he tweaked the same ankle that has given him issues in the past.
“It’s the same ankle that I hurt in Game 7 [against the Heat in the Eastern Conference finals] last year, that I hurt against the Warriors, that I tweaked against the Clippers,” said Tatum, who has developed a close friendship with Adebayo over the years. “So it didn’t feel good at first. But I mean, I don’t want to make it a bigger deal than what it is.”
Celtics center Al Horford received a technical foul on the play for rushing over to help Tatum and bumping Adebayo in the process.
“I know that we get to playing around and trying to contest shots after fouls and things like that,” Horford said. “But there’s levels to contests. If a guy is shooting and the play is over with, just kind of let him be. He’s trying to compete over there. But I was just mad. I don’t want to see any of my guys get hurt or anything like that. Thankfully JT is fine, but it could have been bad.”
