Rozier has been dealing with a neck injury that’s made him miss the last four games.
As the Miami Heat prepare to compete in the play-in tournament Wednesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, they will once again be without star guard Terry Rozier. He missed the last four games of the regular season where his last appearance was on April 7 against the Indiana Pacers as Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra talks about how he feels bad for him according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel.
“I just feel for Terry,” Spoelstra said. “He’s been making a lot of progress. He’s not ready to play in an NBA playoff-level game right now. But I’m encouraged, we’re encouraged. I feel for him. He’s such a competitor. I know how badly he wants to be out here for these kind of moments that I’m talking about. But we’ll continue to treat him and see how he feels.”
Rozier has said time and time again that he wants to be a part of a winning team and while the game isn’t a “win or go home” situation, it’s still a big contest where the winner faces the No. 2 seed New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs. Spoelstra said before the game that his “body will let us know” when he can come back as he deals with a nagging neck injury.
“I’m always hopeful,” Spoelstra said. But his body will let us know.”
Spoelstra talks Duncan Robinson being able to play in crucial game
Duncan Robinson makes his return Wednesday against the 76ers as he was made “available” as announced by the team’s X (formerly known as Twitter). Like Rozier, he also missed the last four games with a back injury specifically labeled as “left facet syndrome,” which is the same issue that held him out earlier as Spoelstra said that it’s “all hands on deck.”
“All hands on deck,” Spoelstra said about Robinson playing though he may not be fully healthy. “Everybody’s putting themselves out there even if they’re not 100 percent. He has been making a lot of progress. It’s just good to see him back in the fold and we’ll utilize him however we need to.”
#MIAvsPHI INJURY UPDATE: Duncan Robinson (facet) is available for today’s game vs. the Sixers.
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) April 17, 2024
Kevin Love explains his recent injuries that worried Miami
The other injury the Heat were concerned about was Kevin Love who left in the first quarter of the regular season finale with an apparent arm injury that was said to be an “left upper arm contusion,” but later had an ankle problem listed on the injury report. However, Love said at shoot-around Wednesday that the arm and the ankle are “not an issue” is “ready to go.”
“Arm’s not an issue, ankle’s not an issue,” Love said. “I’m ready to go. So turn the page on the regular season and now we’ve got some work to do.”
When questioned why Love did not return to the game against the Toronto Raptors, he mentioned how the lead was already out of hand in Miami’s favor. However, he mentioned how that made him feel better and especially the extra day he got.
“We were up 21 at half, so it just made sense for me to focus on this,” he said. “But I feel good and I think that extra day helped.”
The Heat have had constant injury issues which the team is hoping doesn’t stem to the postseason, but before they get to the playoffs, they have to take down the 76ers on their home floor. If they lose, Miami hosts the winner of the 9-10 seed matchup between the Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks Friday where the winner would face the Boston Celtics.
