Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Butler, Herro out vs. Nuggets
MIAMI — The Miami Heat returned Monday night to FTX Arena, but they did not return whole.
Both Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro were ruled out ahead of tipoff against the Denver Nuggets, in the Heat’s first home game after nine days on the road.
Herro missed his second consecutive game with what the Heat have listed as “overall body soreness,” with Butler sidelined with a bruised tailbone, an injury sustained during Saturday night’s victory over the Chicago Bulls at the end of the Heat’s four-game trip.
It is the third game Herro has missed this season, with the Heat entering 2-0 in his absence. His absence is not COVID or safety-protocols related.
Butler, who missed 20 games last season, previously missed three games this season due to an ankle sprain, with the Heat 2-1 in those games.
“Jimmy, it’s from that fall that he had at the end of the first half,” coach Erik Spoelstra said Monday. “He was able to finish but we kind of anticipated that he would be really sore [Sunday] and today.”
The Heat also remained without reserve forward Markieff Morris for an 11th consecutive game due to the whiplash sustained in his Nov. 8 run-in with Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic during the Heat’s loss at Ball Arena.
Still recovering from May quadriceps surgery is guard Victor Oladipo, with undrafted rookie guard Marcus Garrett on G League assignment.
Prospect lost
Poaching season has begun in the
NBA, with the Heat’s G League affiliate losing guard Javonte Smart to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Smart, who thrived with the Heat during summer league and training camp, agreed to a two-way contract with Milwaukee.
Heat officials were working Monday on a replacement for the Skyforce roster.
All players on the roster of the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat’s G League affiliate, are available to be signed by any NBA team, with the exception of Heat two-way players Garrett and Caleb Martin.
The Heat relinquished their NBA rights to Smart, an undrafted guard out of LSU, once he was cut at the end of training camp, similar to the right to sign with any NBA team of current Skyforce players DJ Stewart, Dru Smith and Micah Potter.
The Heat previously lost a pair of summer prospects to two-way contracts elsewhere, with RJ Nembhard signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Dejon Jarreau with the Indiana Pacers.
The Heat opted for the experience of Martin, who had two previous seasons of NBA experience with the Charlotte Hornets, with their second two-way contract, after keeping Garrett from their summer and camp rosters.
Teams are limited to two two-way players.
Smart appeared in six summerleague games for the Heat, averaging 5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists. He then averaged 8.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in five preseason appearances. But in his five appearances for Sioux Falls, those numbers were up to 22 points per game, 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists, at .487 from the field and .396 on 3-pointers.
Garrett appeared in two games over the weekend with the Skyforce, both against the Cleveland Charge.
On Saturday night, the undrafted guard out of Kansas closed with 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting, with 10 rebounds and three assists in 40:41 in a loss. On Sunday, he finished with five points on 2-of-6 shooting, with three rebounds and three assists in 16:57 in a double-overtime loss.
Push-up patrol
Heat captain Udonis Haslem will be hosting a push-up challenge benefiting his Children’s Foundation and Make-A-Wish Southern Florida.
The event will be Dec. 12 at Anatomy Coconut Grove, with Spoelstra and Heat assistant coach Caron Butler among the expected participants, with a goal of raising $250,000.
Participants will be accepting pledges based on the number of pushups completed in a one-hour period.
In addition to Spoelstra and Butler, Haslem’s team also is expected to feature Heat strength coach Eric Foran and Heat executive Michael McCullough, with the goal of completing 2,000 pushups with a goal of a minimum pledge of $30 per pushup.
Details are available at pushup challenge.anatomyfitness.com.