Just 12 seconds into his return to the rotation, Heat forward Nikola Jovic was forced to exit Monday’s game vs. Toronto due to a right elbow injury, as Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel relays.
Jovic, who was getting an opportunity to play in part because Tyler Herro was a late scratch due to a toe injury, went up for a dunk attempt on a fast break and was fouled by Toronto rookie Collin Murray-Boyles (YouTube link). Jovic fell extremely hard, with most of his weight appearing to come down on his elbow and lower back.
While there was no ill intent from Murray Boyles, it was still a scary-looking play. After Jovic was down on the court for a few minutes, a stretcher was brought out. He didn’t end up needing the stretcher, but he was helped off with assistance, with his arm being held up by a trainer in some type of protective brace.
X-rays on Jovic’s elbow were negative and he will undergo an MRI on Tuesday, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
A former first-round pick (27th overall in the 2022 draft), Jovic is off to a disappointing start to his fourth season, averaging 7.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists on .390/.283/.718 shooting in 18 appearances (19.3 minutes per game) heading into Monday’s contest. The 22-year-old Serbian is earning $4.45MM this season before his four-year, $62.4MM rookie scale extension begins next summer.