Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Leonard, Winslow stay home
Injuries take a toll; Herro makes trip to face Clippers
LOS ANGELES — The Miami Heat have decided it’s time for all hands on deck amid injuries impacting Meyers Leonard, Tyler Herro and Justise Winslow.
Leonard (ankle) and Winslow (back) did not travel Tuesday with the Heat to Los Angeles for the start of the five-game trip that opens Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. Herro (foot) made the trip.
Concurrent with those concerns, the Heat recalled second-round pick KZ Okpala and two-way players Gabe Vincent and Kyle Alexander from their G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
While a season-best 19 games above .500, at 34-15, the Heat find themselves short on bodies.
Leonard, who stands with Bam Adebayo as the only Heat players to start every game this season, exited AmericanAirlines Arena on Monday night in a walking boot, after spraining his left ankle in the third quarter of the 137-106 rout of the Philadelphia 76ers. He had expressed initial hope of making Tuesday’s trip.
Herro, who required additional treatment even before taking the court against the 76ers, never made it back into the second half of that game, due to an ongoing issues with his right foot. He left the arena Monday with no visible sign of discomfort.
“I know the way Meyers and Tyler are wired, they will get back in no time,” Adebayo said. “They want to be out here and help this team win. First we need them to rehab and get better to 100%.”
Then there is the ongoing absence of Winslow, who has been dealing for nearly two months with what the team has been listing as a lower-back bone bruise, having appeared in only one game since Dec. 4.
While there will be ample rehabilitation opportunities, with the Heat’s training staff in tow, practice time is expected to be limited, with no more than one day off between any of the five games, a trip that includes a back-to-back set against the Portland Trail
Blazers and Golden State Warriors.
With Leonard out, the question now is whether the Heat stay big in their opening frontcourt alongside Adebayo, possibly starting Kelly Olynyk, or whether they go with a smaller approach, with Derrick Jones Jr. another option.
Should Herro also be out, it could open the door for a return to the rotation by Dion Waiters, who has been held out the past two games.
For his part, Adebayo has remained an embodiment of durability, with Monday’s game his 200th with the Heat and 135th consecutive appearance, the fourth longest consecutive games played streak in the franchise’s 32 seasons.
Monday’s appearance moved him past Isaac Austin (134), behind only the consecutive-game streaks of Glen Rice (174), Grant Long (16) and Norris Cole (160).
Okpala, who was assigned to the Skyforce on Dec. 12, appeared in 17 G League games (all starts), averaging 10.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.18 steals, in an average of 28.1 minutes. He previously appeared in three games with the Heat, totaling a rebound in 3:27 of action.
Alexander, signed to a two-way contract Jan. 15, has appeared in 23 games (21 starts) with the Skyforce, averaging 10.6 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.17 blocks in an average of 25.1 minutes.
Vincent, signed to a twoway contract on Jan. 8, has appeared in six games with the Skyforce, averaging 16.3 points, 2.7 assists, 1.2 rebounds and 1.00 steals in an average of 24.2 minutes.
Vincent has made one appearance with the Heat, playing 1:12 minutes in a 113-92 victory over Orlando on Jan. 27.
Record efficiency
Jimmy Butler’s 38 points on Monday night set the franchise record for most points without a turnover. The Heat committed only three turnovers, a franchise low.
With their 25 of 30 from the free-throw accuracy Monday (.833%), the Heat tied a franchise record with their eighth consecutive game of at least 80% from the line, a record set from Jan. 29 to Feb. 16, 1992.
With his 4 of 8 from beyond the arc against the 76ers, forward Duncan Robinson has now made at least one 3-pointer in 34 consecutive games, the second-longest such streak in franchise history, moving past a pair of 33-game streaks by Tim Hardaway. The franchise record is 49 by Rafer Alston, over two Heat tenures through Jan. 8, 2010.