Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) is escorted off the court after getting fouled by Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles (12) and hurting his arm during the first half of a game on Dec. 15, 2025, at Kaseya Center inMiami. Alie Skowronski askowronski@miamiherald.com
What appeared like a significant injury turned out to be one that isn’t expected to keep Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic out for an extended stretch.
After X-rays on Jovic’s injured right arm returned negative on Monday night, an MRI on Tuesday also came back clean. The Heat has labeled Jovic as day-to-day with a “right elbow contusion/laceration.”
That’s good news for Jovic and the Heat, especially with how bad the injury initially appeared after he took a hard fall in the first quarter of Monday night’s 106-96 loss to the Toronto Raptors at Kaseya Center.
“It looks like we dodged a bullet on that one,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said following Monday’s defeat before Tuesday’s MRI confirmed that Jovic avoided the worst-case scenario. “He came down really hard, and split his elbow open. So it was bleeding. But the scan came back negative, which is a good thing. But that’ll be sore for a while. ... He lost all feeling in his hand because it was a massive stinger.”
It happened seconds after Jovic entered Monday’s game off the Heat’s bench with 3:50 left in the first quarter, getting a chance at some early playing time with guard Tyler Herro (toe contusion) and Pelle Larsson (sprained ankle) unavailable. Jovic had recently fallen out of Miami’s rotation, receiving three DNP-CDs (did not play, coach’s decision) in the previous seven games after his rough start to the season.
But Monday’s opportunity didn’t last long for Jovic, as he went up for a dunk in transition and came crashing down to the court after being fouled by Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles with 3:38 left in the first quarter.
Jovic immediately grabbed his lower back and remained down on the court writhing in pain, as Heat teammates and trainers immediately rushed to check on him.
“I didn’t know what he hurt at first because it looked like it was his tailbone when he fell,” Heat guard Norman Powell said. “And then going over there, seeing the puddle of blood coming from his arm. Then you start thinking that he broke his arm. But luckily he didn’t.”
Heat trainers initially called for a stretcher to be brought out, but the stretcher ultimately wasn’t needed. Jovic was able to walk off the court under his own power with a grin on his face, but with his right arm in a protective brace.
“I couldn’t believe he was smiling,” Spoelstra said. “He was laughing when we all went up to him. I think that was his way of just lightening [the mood], he probably saw the look on all of our faces. It was a hard fall.”
Heat center Bam Adebayo added: “Niko is a warrior. He’s got that tough Serbian blood in him. So for him to smile, obviously, is a great sign. He’s in great spirits, and we wish we could have got that win for him.”
Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) falls to the floor injuring his right arm after being fouled by Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles (12) during the first half of a game on Dec. 15, 2025, at Kaseya Center in Miami. Alie Skowronski askowronski@miamiherald.com
Shortly after, the Heat ruled out Jovic for the rest of the game with what the team then labeled as a “right elbow injury.” He was only able to play 12 seconds before his hard fall forced him to exit Monday’s contest early.
Jovic is averaging 7.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 39 percent from the field and 28.3 percent from three-point range in 19 appearances this season. His only start of the season came in the opener, as his playing time has diminished ever since because of his shaky play.
Staying healthy has been a priority for Jovic this season after injuries have limited his availability early in his NBA career. He has never appeared in more than 46 games in a regular season through his first three seasons.
Jovic, 22, signed a four-year, $62.4 million extension with the Heat in October. The extension begins next season.
HERRO’S MRI
Herro also underwent another MRI on Tuesday after missing his third game in Monday’s loss to the Raptors with a lingering toe injury.
After the first MRI last week showed a right big toe contusion, a second MRI on Tuesday confirmed that’s still the issue. Like Jovic, Herro has been labeled by the Heat as day-to-day.
Herro, who was initially listed as available for Monday’s game, was a late scratch against the Raptors because of his toe issue.
Herro also missed two straight games on Dec. 5 and 6 because of the toe injury before returning to play in a Dec. 9 NBA Cup loss to the Orlando Magic. The hope was a five-day break between that loss in Orlando and Monday’s matchup against the Raptors would give Herro time get back to close to 100 percent physically after also missing the first 17 games of the season due to left ankle surgery he underwent in September.
But just 30 minutes before tipoff on Monday, the Heat announced that Herro would not play against the Raptors.
“He and the trainers met. And he just didn’t feel right, they didn’t feel right about it,” Spoelstra said when asked why Herro was a late scratch on Monday.
Herro is averaging 23.2 points per game on 50.5 percent shooting from the field, 40.5 percent shooting from three-point range and 92.3 percent shooting from the foul line in his six appearances this season. The Heat is 3-3 in the six games that Herro has played in, as he has missed 20 of the first 26 games.
After taking Tuesday off, the Heat will return to practice on Wednesday before opening a three-game trip on Thursday against the Nets in Brooklyn.