If the Miami Heat fail to secure a victory on Sunday, it’s going to be another rock bottom moment less than 10 games away from the end of the regular season.
They are facing an injury riddled 16-58, 15th seed Indiana Pacers squad. Without the likes of Tyrese Haliburton all season long after suffering an achilles tear in last year’s NBA Finals, Indiana is the last place team in the Eastern Conference. They have lost nine of their last 10 games— but will it be a trap game for the likes of Miami?
The Heat are coming off a pathetic effort in a blowout loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. They’ve lost six of their last seven games themselves, and now sit at the 10th and final play-in seed in the East. With just eight games remaining on Miami’s schedule, and time running out before they inevitably accept play-in fate for the fourth year in a row, these are must-win matchups.
Norman Powell has resurfaced back onto the Heat’s injury report with an upper respiratory illness. He will not suit up on Sunday afternoon. That likely paves a way for Pelle Larsson to get some run with the starters again and gives Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo more offensive responsibilities again in Powell’s absence.
Miami is 1-1 against Indiana this season ahead of this third and final matchup between the two teams.
Injury Report (at the time of this publishing):
Indiana Pacers:
- TJ McConnell (hamstring) — QUESTIONABLEÂ
- Andrew Nembhard (back) — QUESTIONABLE
- Aaron Nesmith (back) — QUESTIONABLE
- Pascal Siakam (knee) — QUESTIONABLE
- Obi Toppin (back) — QUESTIONABLE
- Jarace Walker (back) — QUESTIONABLE
- Jalen Slawson (g-league) — DOUBTFUL
- Ivica Zubac (rib) — OUT
- Tyrese Haliburton (achilles) — OUT
- Johnny Furphy (ACL) — OUT
Miami Heat:
- Norman Powell (illness) — OUTÂ
- Jahmir Young (g-league) — OUTÂ
- Vlad Goldin (g-league) — OUT
- Trevor Keels (g-league) — OUT
- Terry Rozier (not with team) — OUT
Projected Starting 5 (subject to change):
Indiana Pacers:
- Andrew Nembhard, G
- Aaron Nesmith, G
- Jarace Walker, F
- Pascal Siakam, F
- Jay Huff, C
Miami Heat:
- Davion Mitchell, G
- Tyler Herro, G
- Norman Powell, G/F
- Andrew Wiggins, F
- Bam Adebayo, C
Broadcast Info:
- Tipoff: 5:00 PM EST
- TV: FanDuel Sports Network Sun (Eric Reid & John Crotty)
- Radio: AM 560 Sports WQAM & The HEAT Radio Network (Jason Jackson)
- Spanish Radio: WAQI 710 AM & The HEAT Spanish Radio Network (José Pañeda)
Come back to Hot Hot Hoops at game time to join our GameThread and chat about the game live with other Heat fans!
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Continuing the Herro conversation from previous articles
EFG% this year of guards averaging >20 ppg
Kon Knueppel 61.6% (19 ppg but had to include him)
SGA 59.6
Curry 58.5
Ant 57.6
Jamal Murray 57
Austin Reaves 57.2
Luka 56.3 (#1 in FGA)
Herro 56.1
Powell 56
Donovan Mitchell 56
Jimmy Butler 55.4
Nickiel Alexander Walker 55.3
Bane 55.4
Maxey 53.8 (#2 in FGA)
Keyonte George 53.2
Brunson 53
Harden 52.9
Cade 51.5
Shaedon Sharpe 51.5
Dillon Brooks 50.7
Cooper Flagg 50.3
Devin Booker 50.1
Herro has only played 27 games but has the same EFG as last year when he started 77 games
Powell actually had a higher EFG last two years with LA when he shot 43% and 42% from 3
Not a list showing that Herro and Powell are better than Cade, but that they are two of the best shooters in the NBA
There are three kinds of lies, white lies, damn lies and statistics. Talking about statistics, what’s the +/-, ppg, and defensive rating for each of them? Inquiring minds want to know.
It’s just a list of all the 20 ppg scorers at the guard position ordered by shooting efficiency. It’s evident that Herro and Powell are in elite company as shooters looking at the top 10 of that list. EFG is not a standalone measurement (if it was Cade would be one of the worst players on the list) but it is still among the most important offensive stats.
Powell is averaging 22 this year, Herro 21. Herro averaged 24 last year on same EFG.
Heat are +1.5 with Powell this year, -1.9 with Herro
Last year LAC was +8.3 with Powell, Heat +1.3 with Herro
Having Powell out is actually a good news. With him or Herro out Heat somehow plays better.
both out play the best this way u got all 2 wayers