The latest injury news for Tuesday’s game.
The Golden State Warriors have a somewhat emotional game ahead of them tonight, as they visit the Miami Heat. It’s Jimmy Butler III’s return to Miami to face the team that he carried to the NBA Finals twice, before messily forcing his way off of. And it’s Golden State’s first game against Andrew Wiggins since trading him at the deadline — a move that broke the hearts of everyone in the organization.
Setting emotion aside — which Butler certainly plans on doing — it’s also a critical game. It’s the second game on a six-game road trip, and the Dubs are hoping to bounce back following a lackluster loss on Saturday. At this point in the season, every game is vital in the standings … and with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Lakers losing on Monday, the door is open for the Warriors to climb the ladder a little bit.
But they’re going up against a mostly-healthy Heat team, while the Warriors still have a major question mark on that front. Here’s the full injury report.
Warriors
Questionable — Steph Curry (left pelvic contusion)
Curry didn’t play on Saturday, and didn’t even travel with the Warriors to Atlanta. But he’s with the team in Miami, after two more off-days, and hoping to play. If he’s not good to go tonight, he’ll likely be good by Friday, but needless to say, the Dubs need him.
Available — Gary Payton II (bilateral nasal bone fracture — facemask)
More masked Payton! It really seems to give him a superpower … as well as some extra style.
Heat
Out — Nikola Jović (broken right hand)
The 27th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft might not be the most successful NBA player named “Nikola Jo_ić,” but he’s been having a strong third season, averaging 10.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, while shooting well from deep. But he hasn’t played in over a month, and his season is possibly over.
Out — Dru Smith (left Achilles surgery)
Smith has only played in 38 games in his three-year career, but he was off to a strong start this year, before suffering an Achilles injury in December that ended his season.
Out — Keshad Johnson (G League assignment)
Johnson started his rookie year on a two-way contract, but was converted to a standard deal in late December. He’s mostly spent time in the G League, though, with just 10 NBA games to his name.
Questionable — Duncan Robinson (lower back pain)
Robinson is once again have a strong shooting season. He’s 24th in the NBA in threes made, and is shooting 38.7% from deep. If he isn’t able to play, that certainly helps the Warriors, who have had a few struggles with opposing threes lately.
Available — Bam Adebayo (left knee sprain)
There was some question as to whether the three-time All-Star would play today, but his iron man season continues: he’s played all but two games this year.
Available — Tyler Herro (left hip contusion)
Herro is also having an iron man season, having played in all but three games for Miami. He has taken Butler’s role as the face of Miami’s offense, with career highs in points per game (23.5) and assists per game (5.6), while making his first All-Star Game. Needless to say, Herro being able to play tonight makes the task much more difficult for the Warriors.
Enjoy the game, Dub Nation! You can catch all the action at 4:30 p.m. PT on TNT.