Bam Adebayo goes down, Heat unable to slow down Nikola Jokic and Nuggets
The Miami Heat returned to Denver, a city where victories have been hard to come by, searching for their first regular-season win there since 2016. The team received a minor boost when Kasparas Jakucionis was cleared to potentially make his NBA debut. However, that optimism quickly diminished after another injury setback.
Early in the first quarter, Bam Adebayo appeared to twist his foot awkwardly while setting a screen for Norman Powell. He left the floor limping and did not return for the remainder of the game due to a left foot issue.
Injury Fallout and Coaching Adjustments
With Adebayo out, the Heat bench faced a pressing question—who could step up next? Head coach Erik Spoelstra initially tried to manage Kel'el Ware’s minutes against Nikola Jokic, but soon had no choice but to use him more extensively. Ware delivered a few encouraging defensive moments, fronting Jokic and working to contain him, yet the team still struggled to secure rebounds.
“Fourteen offensive rebounds for Denver compared to one for Miami in the first half pretty much tells the story.”
The imbalance on the boards left Miami constantly on the back foot. Once Ware came out, the lack of size became even more evident. Two-way center Vlad Goldin was away with the Sioux Falls affiliate, forcing Spoelstra to deploy Keshad Johnson as an emergency backup center.
Summary
Despite early hopes and a few adjustments, Miami’s night unraveled after Bam Adebayo’s injury, as Denver’s dominance on the glass and Jokic’s control proved too much to handle.
Author’s summary: Miami’s hopes in Denver collapsed after Bam Adebayo’s injury, exposing depth issues and rebounding struggles that allowed the Nuggets to dominate.