It’s a battle of pair of teams from the Southeast Division on the hardwood as they clash in Buzz City. The Miami Heat are on the road as they make the trip to face the Charlotte Hornets Sunday afternoon.
In the all-time regular season series between the teams, the Heat own a 73-46 advantage and have won the last seven meetings. That includes a pair of wins this season with Miami rolling to a 132-115 home win in the most recent matchup on November 12, 2022.
Latest Injury Updates for Heat vs. Hornets game
MIAMI HEAT
| PLAYER | UPDATED | INJURY |
INJURY STATUS
|
| Duncan Robinson | Wed, Jan 4 | Finger |
Expected to be out until at least Feb 2
|
| Nikola Jovic | Wed, Jan 4 | Back |
Expected to be out until at least Feb 24
|
| Omer Yurtseven | Sun, Nov 13 | Ankle |
Expected to be out until at least Feb 24
|
Omar Yurtseven’s ankle injury required surgery on November 15, and he will be sidelined indefinitely as a result. Meanwhile, Duncan Robinson had surgery on his finger on January 5, and it is anticipated that he will be sidelined until the beginning of February.
- Jimmy Butler: Leads all scorers with 29 points
In 33 minutes of action against the Magic on Friday, Butler scored 29 points (10-17 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 9-12 FT), grabbed six boards, dished out six assists, and swiped two steals.
On Friday, Butler was back in the lineup and was a key factor in the Heat’s come-from-behind victory. Managers’ frustration with players missing games is likely to persist for the rest of the year. His per-game value is exactly where it should be, giving coaches some peace of mind. Those who have Butler on their rosters will likely have to cross their fingers in the event that he misses any games due to injury, as no team is likely to accept a trade request.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS
| PLAYER | UPDATED | INJURY |
INJURY STATUS
|
| Dennis Smith Jr. | Sat, Jan 28 | Illness |
Game Time Decision
|
| Cody Martin | Sat, Jan 28 | Knee |
Game Time Decision
|
| Kelly Oubre Jr. | Tue, Jan 3 | Hand |
Expected to be out until at least Feb 8
|
Due to knee surgery in November, Martin has only played one game so far this season. Oubre Jr. (thumb) hasn’t played since December 29 against the Thunder and underwent surgery since then. He will likely be sidelined until at least the middle of February.
- LaMelo Ball (ankle/wrist) – Ready
Ball (ankle and wrist) finished Thursday’s 111-96 win over the Bulls with 15 points (2-15 FG, 2-11 3Pt, 9-10 FT), 11 rebounds, and 8 assists in 37 minutes.
Even though Ball’s third multi-game absence of the season, which was caused by a sprained left ankle, was shorter than his first two, the star point guard had a rough night when he came back. After going 2-for-15, Ball’s field-goal percentage for the season dropped to 40%, but at least he filled out all the categories.
Ball didn’t have any limits on how much he could play, which is probably more important. This gives us hope that his ankle injury and his less serious right wrist injury won’t slow him down in the future.
NBA Regular Season Schedule
| Sunday, January 29, 2023 | ||
| AWAY | HOME | TIME / TV |
| Miami | Charlotte | 1:00 PM |
| Indiana | Memphis | 6:00 PM |
| L.A. Clippers | Cleveland | 7:00 PM |
| New Orleans | Milwaukee | 8:00 pm NBAt |
