Heat Fall 122-112 to Nuggets with Focus on Bam Adebayo’s Injured Foot
Any debate about the most important player on the Miami Heat roster was settled early in the eighth game of the season when Bam Adebayo suffered a foot injury. Without him, the Heat struggled against the Denver Nuggets, losing 122-112 at Ball Arena.
Bam Adebayo’s Injury and Impact
Adebayo left the game in the first quarter due to pain in his left foot. Reflecting on the injury, he said,
“Obviously it was too much to play through, and then obviously you don’t want to do anything more to cause any more lingering effects.”
He expects an MRI in Miami on Friday: “I felt a pain in my foot so I took it upon myself to check myself out and go see what happened. We’ll get more tests tomorrow and see how it goes.”
Team Challenges Without Adebayo
Already short on size, the Heat relied mostly on the slim 7-foot Kel’el Ware in the middle, which proved insufficient to handle the Nuggets' dominance on the boards. This loss evened Miami’s record to 4-4.
Regarding Adebayo’s condition, Ware commented,
“Hope it’s nothing bad and he’ll be able to be back.”
Nuggets’ Dominance Led by Nikola Jokic
The Heat suffered their 11th consecutive loss to Denver, largely due to Nikola Jokic’s outstanding performance. Jokic finished with a triple-double by midway through the third period, recording 33 points, 16 assists, and 15 rebounds.
Heat’s Offensive Leaders
- Norman Powell scored 23 points
- Andrew Wiggins added 22 points
- Jaime Jaquez Jr. contributed 21 points
Author’s summary: Bam Adebayo’s early injury significantly weakened the Heat, resulting in a tough defeat against the Nuggets led by Nikola Jokic’s dominant triple-double.