The Miami Heat will host the Philadelphia 76ers in Monday night’s action. Bam Adebayo and Co. come into this game after suffering back-to-back heartbreaking defeats against Memphis and Milwaukee. They lost agonizingly against the Grizzlies, thanks to Ja Morant’s buzzer-beater. If that was not enough, despite being short-handed, Miami took the Bucks to overtime only to fall short, 121-115. Now, they will look to bounce back against a lowly Sixers side that currently holds an unwanted record in the league. Yes! Philly has lost all of its last 11 games, which is the longest losing streak in the league right now.

So this should be an easy win for the Heat tonight, right? Well, that would’ve been the case if they weren’t hard-hit by injuries. Unfortunately, Miami has been struggling with injuries. They even missed their franchise player, Tyler Herro, in their recent matchup against Milwaukee. Now, they face even more concerns with a question mark over their other star Bam Adebayo’s, fitness. Without these two players, it could be an uphill battle for the Heat tonight against this struggling Sixers team they should be comfortable against. So what has happened to Bam Adebayo? Is the Miami star fit for tonight?

Miami Heat injury report ahead of their clash with Philadelphia

Despite clinching a play-in seed, the Miami Heat needs to get geared up for the business end of the season. And that isn’t possible without their key players spending time together on the floor. They could have that tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers. However, that seems unlikely now. Why? Well, there’s some bad news for the Heat fans as their team has provided a concerning update on big man Bam Adebayo. The 27-year-old Miami superstar is questionable for tonight’s matchup against Philly. He might not be available tonight due to back spasms. That’s worrying news for Miami, given they already miss a significant portion of their roster due to injuries. Adebayo has been a key member of this Miami team and not having him will be a massive blow for the team.

More so, the Heat have struggled without Bam Adebayo on the floor. They are winless when Bam isn’t playing. Miami is 0-2 in the games he’s missed. So, if he misses tonight’s action, it might not be great news for the Heat. Another big concern will be his replacement. Adebayo has been averaging 18 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. So, filling his shoes might not be an easy task for anyone on the roster. Nonetheless, we will have to keep a close eye on this as we near tip-off. Well, this isn’t Miami’s only concern going into this matchup. The Heat can also miss their best player, Tyler Herro, in back-to-back games. Herro might not take part in tonight’s action after suffering a right thigh contusion. He is doubtful for this matchup adding to Miami’s problems.

Herro has been incredible for the Heat this season. The point guard is averaging 23.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. Needless to say, without him, the team will face adversities tonight. Does Heat’s problems end here? No. There’s more from where this came from. Forward Nikola Jovic is also out for tonight. The 21-year-old has been suffering from a hand injury and will, unfortunately, not play against the Sixers. Joining the youngster will be veteran Kevin Love. The 36-year-old is out due to some personal reasons. Although his stats might not reflect it, Love has been a fantastic role-player for Miami throughout the season. Furthermore, combo guard Isaiah Stevens has suffered a disastrous foot injury. So, he also won’t be available for tonight’s home game.

Another notable absence tonight will be Miami’s new addition, Andrew Wiggins. The 30-year-old forward is set to miss tonight’s game due to a painful hamstring injury. He’s been settling well in South Florida so far. Wiggins is averaging 18.2 points while shooting 45 percent from the field. Dru Smith will be alongside Wiggins as he underwent a successful surgery to repair his ruptured left Achilles. Is this the end? Nope. Two more players are doubtful, adding to Miami’s misery. Haywood Highsmith and Alec Burks are both on day-to-day. Highsmith has been struggling with an Achilles problem. Meanwhile, Burks is experiencing discomfort in his lower back area. After seeing Miami’s injury crisis, only one question pops up: How will they start tonight?

Who will be Miami Heat’s starting five for tonight?

Well, the Heat could be without three of their key players with Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and Andrew Wiggins on the injury report. It will give their head coach, Erik Spoelstra, a lot to think about ahead of tonight’s matchup. A lot will depend on the match-day fitness of a lot of players. However, Kel’el Ware is set to retain his starting spot. Moreover, a few rotational players could see their minutes get extended.

So, here’s how the Heat could start:

Overall, this will be a much closer game than anticipated. That’s because of the sheer number of injuries on this Miami roster. Despite this, they should be able to bounce back against a team that has not won any of their last 11 games. A lot will depend on Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro’s fitness. If both are fit before tip-off, then this should be a dub for the Heat. If not, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top at the Kaseya Center in Miami.