More bad news with Miami Heat injury updates as they will be without their rookie and starter for game five in Boston tonight.
Miami Heat Injury News: Another Starter Ruled For Game 5
Jaime Jaquez Jr. Injured
Miami Heat’s injuries just keep piling up. Another starter whose presence in tonight’s matchup seems all but lost is rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. The Heat organization has revealed that Jaquez is grappling with a right hip issue that arose in game four earlier this week.
“It’s just my right hip. I felt something give at the beginning of the third quarter going up for a rebound,” Jaquez shared. I tried to give it everything I had. Just take it day by day.”
Jaquez didn’t see the floor for the entirety of the fourth quarter in Miami’s loss on Monday due to this injury. He has been officially ruled out of tonight’s win-or-go-home matchup. That same game on Monday saw Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis also leave with a reported calf injury.
#MIAvsBOS INJURY UPDATE: Terry Rozier (neck) and Jaime Jaquez, Jr. (right hip flexor strain) have both been ruled out of tomorrow night’s Game 5 vs the Celtics.
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) April 30, 2024
Terry Rozier Remains Sidelined
Terry Rozier, who the Heat traded for earlier in the year, has been out since before the end of the regular season. Dealing with neck spasms, Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra has stated that Rozier is day-to-day.
Losing Rozier has significantly impacted the Heat’s playoff performance thus far. Heat teammate Tyler Herro recently pointed out that the Heat “don’t have a point guard right now.” Miami has struggled mightily to score points in their series against the Boston Celtics. Rozier’s 23.2 points per game and solid point guard play carried the expectation of impact. If he were playing and healthy, Miami might have this series a lot closer than it currently is.
Miami Heat’s Injuries Have All But Closed The Door This Year
It remains to be seen if Jaquez or Rozier will have another chance to play this year. Along with Jimmy Butler, they will be sidelined until healthy. However, depending on how Miami fairs in tonight’s game, there is a real possibility these players have played their final minutes of the season. Miami Heat injuries have been a dark spot this time around, that’s for sure.
Jaquez Jr. is averaging 12.8 points in this first-round series. Having possibly played his last game this year, Jaquez will likely land on an All-Rookie first-team spot at some point, as he should.
