Bam Adebayo
Getty
Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo continues to struggle.
After getting a night off, the Miami Heat are going to be back on the court on Thursday, March 19, to host the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Heat recently faced a rare situation. They went into a game without Bam Adebayo on the court. The veteran center is dealing with right calf tightness.
In the absence of Adebayo on March 17, the Heat leaned on Tyler Herro. The veteran guard checked in for 31minutes. He shot 5-11 from the field and knocked down all nine of his free throws. Herro finished the game with 20 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.
The Heat also got a nice push from Norman Powell’s 17 points, as well as Keshad Johnson’s 15 points off the bench.
However, the Heat couldn’t overcome a hot Hornets team. Charlotte defeated the Adebayo-less Heat with a 136-106 score.
Will Adebayo make his return to help the Heat face a challenging Lakers squad?
Miami Heat Announce Starters vs Los Angeles Lakers
Bam Adebayo, Heat
GettyBam Adebayo is returning to the Miami Heat’s lineup on Thursday night as they take on the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Heat will start Davion Mitchell, Tyler Herro, Pelle Larsson, Simone Fontecchio, and Bam Adebayo.
After getting upgraded to probably on the initial Heat injury report, Adebayo has been officially cleared for action. As expected, he will get the nod to start.
Entering Thursday’s game, the Heat hold a 38-31 record. They are on a two-game losing streak, but have won seven of their last 10 games.
Miami is looking to make a move into the Eastern Conference’s top six. Currently, they trail the 38-30 Orlando Magic by 0.5 games. With the Atlanta Hawks on an 11-game winning streak, they’ve managed to form the same record as the Heat, nearly making the sixth seed a three-way tie.
The Lakers will be a tough test for Miami. Over their last 10 games, the Lakers have won all but one matchup. They’ve won seven games in a row, including their Wednesday outing against the Houston Rockets.
Los Angeles holds the third seed in the Western Conference with a 44-25 record.
When the Lakers and the Heat met for the first time this season on November 2, LA collected a 130-120 victory. The Heat haven’t won against the Lakers since December 4, 2024. Miami is looking to snap a two-game streak on Thursday.