Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
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Bam Adebayo dribbles the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second quarter in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs.
The Miami Heat are on the road in North Carolina to take on the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday, March 17.
As expected, the Heat’s injury report is loaded with key names. Unfortunately, they are faced with the rare occasion of missing their star center, Bam Adebayo.
When the Heat released their injury report on Monday night, Adebayo was downgraded to questionable for the outing. Before Tuesday afternoon, he was changed to doubtful. The Heat officially ruled him out.
Miami Heat Announce Starting Lineup vs Charlotte Hornets
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 18: Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat reacts after their 123-114 win over the Atlanta Hawks in overtime during an NBA play-in tournament game on April 18, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The Miami Heat are going to start Davion Mitchell, Norman Powell, Tyler Herro, Pelle Larsson, and Kel’el Ware.
The Hornets will start LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and Moussa Diabaté.
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Lineup alert: Heat will start Mitchell, Powell, Herro, Larsson, Ware on Tuesday.
While the Heat have a ton of names on the report, including Adebayo, most of their players are available to take on the Hornets.
Tyler Herro headlines the list with quadriceps soreness. Kasparas Jakucionis is dealing with a left ankle sprain. Jaime Jaquez has hip tightness.
Pelle Larson is recovering from a back injury. Dru Smith has a right hip contusion, and Kel’el Ware is battling a right shoulder strain.
Andrew Wiggins is the only player outside of Adebayo who won’t get the nod to play. As he deals with a toe injury, Wiggins will stay out of the lineup.
The Miami Heat Without Wiggins And Adebayo
Bam Adebayo
GettyMiami Heat star center Bam Adebayo is missing action against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night.
The Heat haven’t had Wiggins on the court since their two-game series against the Brooklyn Nets. The last time he checked in, the veteran logged 22 minutes of playing time. He produced eight points, four rebounds, and one assist.
Tuesday’s game will mark the sixth time Wiggins is missing action during this current stretch. This season, Wiggins has produced averages of 15.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game for the Heat.
As for Adebayo, he’s been mostly available for the Heat outside of an early November stretch this season. The veteran was out for six games in a row in November. After returning, he missed a two-game stretch in late December, but has been on the court since.
Fortunately for the Heat, they have played well in Adebayo’s absence this year. They are 6-2 in the games without the star center.
Currently, the Heat are working on getting into the playoff picture. With the Eastern Conference’s seventh seed, the Heat are working on jumping the Toronto Raptors, who currently hold the final guaranteed playoff seed.
At 38-29, the Raptors have a 0.5-game lead. Miami will look to move up with a win over the Hornets, who are 34-34 on the season. Tuesday marks the fourth and final meeting between the Heat and the Hornets. At 3-0 for the year, Miami is going for the season sweep.