Missing persons
Butler and Herro questionable, Oladipo out vs. Timberwolves
Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro are listed as questionable for the Miami Heat for Friday night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at AmericanAirlines Arena, with Victor Oladipo again out.
Butler is listed with flu-like symptoms after the illness kept him out of Tuesday night’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks. He had appeared in 18 of the previous 20 games.
Oladipo has not played since landing awkwardly on a dunk attempt March 8 in the victory against the visiting Los Angeles Lakers. He will miss his 15th consecutive gamed due to what the team is listing as right knee soreness.
Herro has not played since the April 23 road loss to the Atlanta Hawks, missing the past six games with what the team is listing as right foot soreness.
The absences of Oladipo and Herro have led to a recent uptick in playing time for two-way guard Max Strus.
The Heat have five more games remaining after Friday, with just one more home game, on May 13 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Off the Heat injury report is forward Andre Iguodala.
In playing the past four games, it is the longest run of consecutive appearances for Iguodala since the 37-year-old forward played in five consecutive games in a stretch that began a month ago. Otherwise, he has been spotted with days off listed as “left hip soreness.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Iguodala has been invaluable during the playoff race.
“It shows you,” Spoelstra said, “how much of a winning impact you can have in this league, even at his age, with an uncommon basketball mind and a wealth of the highest level of experience, as many playoffs and finals trips that he’s been to and a skill set that I think has aged very well.”
The Heat hold a $15 million team option for Iguodala for next season.
“I love having him around,” Spoelstra said. “He’s an absolute winner but also a Swiss Army knife that you can plug into a lot of different places. And with all the moving parts this year, you need guys like that.”
For the Timberwolves, Malik Beasley (hamstring) and Jarrett Culver (ankle) are out.
National view
The Heat’s playoff-race showdown Tuesday in Boston has been added to TNT’s national schedule, with tipoff changed from the previously scheduled 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The game no longer will be carried by Bally Sports Sun.
Sunday’s 1 p.m. game in Boston also will only have national coverage, on ESPN.
Hot hand
Timberwolves rookie guard Anthony Edwards will enter Friday’s game coming off Wednesday’s 42-point performance, when he shot 8 of 9 on 3-pointers in a home loss to the Memphis Grizzles.
“He’s coming into his own, it’s obvious,” Minnesota guard D’Angelo Russell said. “We know what he’s going to do.
“He’s going to bring that element to the game, and it’s only his rookie year. So that’s what’s scary. There’s something special there.”
Edwards became the second player 19 years or younger to have multiple 40-point games in a season (LeBron James had three in 2003-04). Edwards also became the first 19-year-old history to have 40 or more points and five or more 3s in a game.
Factoring in his six rebounds and a career-high seven assists, Edwards joined James (2004) and Kevin Durant (2008) as the only teenagers in NBA history to have at least 40 points, five rebounds and five assists in a game.