In South Beach, two Eastern Conference teams compete for a victory. The Brooklyn Nets are on the road, traveling to Miami on Sunday evening to face the Heat.
Kevin Durant READY and Nikola Jovic OUT for Heat – Nets
ALSO READ: Injury Reports Cavaliers: Are Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell PLAYING vs Suns?
- Nikola Jovic
Jovic (back) will be out for another four weeks, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Injury Report for the Heat
Miami defeated Phoenix on the road for the third time in four games and the fifth time in their last seven on Friday night. The Heat improved to 21-19 and entered Saturday with a 2.5-game lead over Atlanta in the Southeast Division.
They finished eighth in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, trailing Boston by 6.5 games for first place and the Knicks by one game for the final guaranteed playoff spot.
Miami led Phoenix after the first quarter by seven points, five points at halftime, and 14 points in the third quarter.
In the final minute of the third quarter, the Suns closed to within one point of the Heat. With 7:45 remaining, Miami went on a 15-2 run to take an 89-75 lead and never let Phoenix get closer than six points the rest of the way.
The Heat shot 42.3% from the field, including 12 of 38 from behind the three-point line, and hit 26 of 31 free throws. Victor Oladipo of Miami led the way with 26 points.
Injury Report
| PLAYER | POSITION | UPDATED | INJURY | INJURY STATUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Udonis Haslem | PF | Sat, Jan 7 | Achilles | Game Time Decision |
| Gabe Vincent | PG | Sat, Jan 7 | Knee | Game Time Decision |
| Bam Adebayo | C | Sat, Jan 7 | Thigh | Game Time Decision |
| Caleb Martin | SF | Sat, Jan 7 | Quadriceps | Game Time Decision |
| Tyler Herro | PG | Sat, Jan 7 | Back | Game Time Decision |
| Dewayne Dedmon | C | Sat, Jan 7 | Foot | Game Time Decision |
| Duncan Robinson | SG | Wed, Jan 4 | Finger | Expected to be out until at least Feb 2 |
| Nikola Jovic | PF | Wed, Jan 4 | Back | Expected to be out until at least Feb 24 |
| Omer Yurtseven | C | Sun, Nov 13 | Ankle | Expected to be out until at least Feb 24 |
- Kelvin Durant
Durant struggled with efficiency and needed 26 shots to score 33 points, but that’s what happens when a player like Durant gets enough volume to shine offensively and carry his team to victory.
Durant has now scored at least 30 points in back-to-back games, and his strong offensive performances have become the norm.
Over Brooklyn’s last 15 games, Durant has scored at least 25 points on 12 occasions and is averaging 29.5 points while shooting 57.2 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from deep.
Injury Report for the Nets
Brooklyn bounced back from a loss to the Bulls with a win over the Pelicans in New Orleans on Friday night, their 13th in the last 14 games.
The Nets entered Saturday’s game with a record of 26-13, one game behind Boston in both the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference standings.
Brooklyn trailed New Orleans by one point after the first quarter, 15 points in the second quarter, and 11 points at the half.
The Nets outscored the Pelicans 35-21 in the third quarter to take a three-point lead and hold off New Orleans the rest of the way.
Brooklyn shot 43.5% from the field, including 15 of 33 from beyond the arc, while New Orleans shot 39.8%. Kevin Durant led the Nets with 33 points and 10 rebounds in the win.
There is no injury for the Nets.
