Nikola Jovic

Heat’s Nikola Jovic Day-To-Day With Elbow Injury

December 16th, 2025 at 12:37pm CST by Rory Maher

December 16: After undergoing MRIs, both Jovic (elbow contusion/laceration) and Herro (big toe contusion) are being considered day-to-day, tweets Winderman. As Reynolds notes (via Twitter), that’s especially good news for Jovic, given how scary his fall looked.

December 15: 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.

Southeast Notes: Suggs, Jovic, Knueppel, Miller

December 15th, 2025 at 12:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

An MRI conducted on Monday confirmed that Magic guard Jalen Suggs suffered a left hip contusion during Saturday’s NBA Cup game against the Knicks, the team’s PR department tweets. His return will depend on how he responds to treatment.

Suggs had 26 points and seven assists in 29 minutes on Saturday. The fifth-year guard, who suffered the injury while driving to the basket during the third quarter, is averaging 15.4 points and 4.8 assists per game this season. Tyus Jones, Anthony Black and Jett Howard could all see an uptick in minutes during his absence.

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

Nikola Jovic signed a four-year extension in October. The Heat forward has financial security but not a spot in the rotation — he has been a healthy scratch in five of the last nine games in which he was available. He’s also logging fewer minutes when he does play (19.3 MPG, compared with 25.1 last season), the Miami Herald’s duo of Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson note. Jovic admits it’s a frustrating situation. “The way my minutes fall is really sad. I’m not trying to think about what they’re thinking because I know it’s hard for them, too. I’m just trying to stay positive and help these guys develop,” he said.
The Hornets don’t feel pressed to make any major trades despite their 8-18 record, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. In an appearance on the YES Network (Twitter video link via Hornets Reddit), Scotto said that Kon Knueppel “has essentially become the face of the franchise” as a rookie. “They still want to see what it looks like with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel and Miles Bridges,” Scotto said. “They think if they’re healthy, they could be a play-in team.”
Miller briefly departed the Hornets’ game against Cleveland on Sunday due to an apparent shoulder injury, then returned and hit a key three-pointer late in regulation. Charlotte pulled out an overtime victory against one of the East’s premier clubs. “It was a huge growth moment for us,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said, per Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “Responding, we felt like we gave up too many offensive rebounds, especially as they kind of got back into the game. And then I thought we had multiple people hitting and crashing, and trying to come up with every 50-50-ball and defensive rebound that we could. “And to see Brandon with 13 rebounds just shows he can give it to us on both ends. He’s an offensive great, but he can be an elite two-way player. And it becomes contagious when you see one of our best players doing that.”

Heat Notes: Losing Streak, Threes, Herro, Wiggins, Jovic

December 14th, 2025 at 4:01pm CST by Rory Maher

The Heat were grateful to have an extended break after losing their fourth straight game on Tuesday, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Miami has spent the past three days practicing after taking a couple of rest days in the middle of the week.

“Look, we don’t like losing,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We have a very competitive group in the locker room. We’re just focused on getting better, not getting caught up in all the panic and narratives that potentially can be out there, just have to rally around each other.

“Look, it’s a competitive league. There’s so much parity right now. You have to play well and then you have to find different ways to win games. There’s going to be a lot of teams that are going through what we’re going through right now. You can’t panic for all the noise. You just have to focus on, ‘How do we get better?’”

As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald notes, the Heat had gotten pretty lucky during their 14-7 start to the season, as opponents were converting three-pointers at a much worse rate than expected, while the Heat were one of the top outside shooting teams in the league. Both of those trends have reversed during their recent stretch of poor play.

“They’re doing a great job of scouting how we play our offense,” guard Norman Powell said. “They’re up higher. They’re two, three steps up above the three. They’re denying passing lanes. They’re trying to make us play one in the half court and then two inside the line.

“So we’ve just got to be better collectively, really working the offense like we were at the beginning of the season. We’re all on everybody’s scouting report in how we want to play, the pace, and trying to slow us down. So individually, we can all be better in how we navigate the offense, attack, kickouts, not taking so many tough two-pointers once we get into the paint.”

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Spoelstra strongly pushed back on the notion that having Tyler Herro back has disrupted the team’s offensive rhythm, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “It’s just a total overreaction that’s misguided. We need Tyler,” Spoelstra said Friday. “And it will be a little bit of a process working him back into the mix. But to get where we need to go, we need Tyler’s skill and talent. We need our guys healthy, and that’s what we’re working on right now. We can be very dangerous when we get guys on the same page, committing to our identity, and Tyler’s a big part of that.” The Heat are just 3-3 when Herro plays, but they’ve been better when he’s on the court than when he’s off, Chiang observes, and the 25-year-old guard is once again putting up big offensive numbers.
While he admits there are pros and cons to the role, veteran wing Andrew Wiggins has grown accustomed to spending most of his time as a small-ball power forward, per Winderman. “It hasn’t been weighing on me at all. I’ve been feeling pretty comfortable,” he said. “It was more so newer at the beginning of the year. But, like I said, I feel comfortable now and I feel like I’m doing a solid job being the power forward. I mean, it has its advantages and disadvantages.”
Spoelstra says fourth-year forward Nikola Jovic will have an opportunity to play rotation minutes again at some point, Winderman adds, though when exactly that will take place is still up in the air. “He just has to stay with it,” Spoelstra said. “And each day is an opportunity for him to get better and to make an impression. That’s good that he has practice days, to show us. But he’s been working behind the scenes and he’ll get his opportunity again.”

Heat Notes: Roster Spot, Powell, Wiggins, Jovic, Mitchell

December 3rd, 2025 at 7:03pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Heat will have the ability to sign a 15th man without surpassing the luxury tax line as of December 13, but there are many factors the team will need to consider before doing so, Ira Winderman writes for the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Miami will have to weigh the likelihood of Tyler Herro qualifying for his performance-based contract incentives, which are looking increasingly out of reach, as the shooting guard is only one missed game from being ruled ineligible for All-NBA.

The team is also in an uncertain position when it comes to the contract of Terry Rozier, who is currently on leave from the league due to his involvement in the FBI’s gambling probe. In ordinary circumstances, the Heat could waive Rozier on or before January 7 in order to recoup the $1.6MM non-guaranteed portion of his salary, but Winderman writes that it’s unclear if the league will allow them to do that while he’s on leave.

The Heat have also had a hot start to the season and sit at third in the East coming into Wednesday’s slate of games, meaning they may not feel any urgency to navigate those obstacles and add a new player.

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Norman Powell is doing his best to play through the groin strain that sidelined him for a game last week and will cause him to miss Wednesday night’s matchup against the Mavs, writes Winderman in a separate piece. “I’m not fully healthy,” Powell admitted. “I haven’t been fully healthy in a couple of games.” However, Powell said that the team doctors don’t think he’s been making the injury worse by playing. “They think it can still heal while I’m playing,” he said. “It’s managing it, and if something is too uncomfortable or whatever, then letting them know.” Powell had previously missed time with a right groin strain, but he said that the current injury is in a different place.
Andrew Wiggins isn’t the loudest player in the Heat’s locker room, but he has been leading by example this season, Winderman writes. “I get the job done and I do whatever I can to help the team win,” he said. “I know every night’s going to be different. Some nights might be more scoring. Some nights might be my rebounding. Depending on whatever the team needs, I’m here and I’m going to try and do it.” On a team that has prioritized a well-distributed offensive attack, teammates are impressed with Wiggins’ approach, according to Winderman. “Wiggs is amazing,” Powell said. “He’s quiet, he’s to himself, but he works. He knows the game. He has a versatile skill set. I think he flies under the radar. He’s always quiet and he gets the job done.”
Nikola Jovic‘s play has been one of the few disappointing aspects of an otherwise better-than-expected season for the Heat, and he’s aware that he’s not performing liked he wants to, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I know that I’m not playing great basketball right now, and that’s the thing that bothers me for sure,” he said. Jovic was conscious of saying the right things about being happy that the team is succeeding despite his struggles, but head coach Erik Spoelstra knows he needs more from the talented forward. “Our ceiling goes so much higher when there’s a consistency to Niko’s game,” Spoelstra said. “He’s extremely versatile on both ends of the court when he’s really locked in, paying attention to details, giving the maximum effort.” Spoelstra adds that attention to detail is crucial, as is getting back into a rhythm after missing some time with an injury.
Davion Mitchell, who re-signed with Miami on a two-year, $24MM deal this past offseason, is repaying the Heat’s faith in him by turning into one of the steadiest point guards in the league in terms of assist-to-turnover ratio, Chiang writes, noting that only T.J. McConnell and Tim Hardaway Jr. have a better statistical profile in that regard this season.”He really helps what we’re trying to do,” Spoelstra said. “He feels the momentum of the game, and then he has that feel that all great point guards have of getting guys open shots to really extend the lead.” Mitchell, for his part, says the change came when he stopped trying to force things so much. “When I first got here, I was thinking a little bit,” he said. “Obviously, I tried to do what I do on the defensive end, but offensively, I was still trying to find what I can do for this team. But now, it’s like I’m not even out there thinking. I’m just out there making plays and just kind of just free flowing.”

Heat Notes: Herro, Jovic, Robinson, Rozier

November 30th, 2025 at 8:31am CST by Eli Cohen

The Heat are 2-1 since Tyler Herro made his season debut following his recovery from ankle surgery. However, the team’s back-to-back 106-point showings in their two wins were well below what the high-scoring Miami offense had been accustomed to this fall, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

After scoring a league-leading 124.9 points per game and playing at a league-fastest pace of 106.38 possessions per 48 minutes through their first 17 contests, the Heat had two of their lowest-scoring and slowest-paced games in those victories over Dallas and Milwaukee. Herro is aware of that drop-off despite the success in the win column, and is trying to find the balance between playing his game and adjusting to the new offensive ecosystem.

“I want to score 150, as well,” Herro said. “That looked like a lot of fun on the bench. So I’m trying to make it work. I’m not here to take over the offense or do anything. I told all the guys to just continue to play the same way, and I’ll find my spots and fit in as I can.”

Head coach Erik Spoelstra said the scoring dip was unrelated to Herro’s return.

“It’s not because Tyler is coming back,” Spoelstra said. “It’s because teams will try to scheme against what we’re trying to do. Teams will try to slow us down, and we just need to be better at what we do.”

Miami scored 135 points on Saturday, but allowed 138 in a close loss to Detroit.

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With Miami finally back at full strength for the first time on Wednesday’s game, someone was bound to lose their spot in the rotation, and that turned out to be Nikola Jovic, Chiang writes in the same article. “I’m good,” Jovic said. “It’s something that happens, you know, I guess every season now. I’ll be back. I’ll get back on the court again. I’ll get a chance and I’ll show that I can play again. And then the circle comes around.” The fourth-year forward played 10 minutes in the following game, scoring two points on three shots. Even though he signed a four-year extension this summer, Jovic’s role and minutes continue to fluctuate. His playing time dropped from 22.6 MPG over his first 11 games to 15.0 MPG over his last four outings.
Duncan Robinson played against the Heat for the first time in his career on Saturday and scored 18 points with five assists and five rebounds. Coming into the game, he knew it would be strange, but still felt that things had worked out for the best, according to Chiang. “I had been in every trade rumor under the sun throughout my time, and it never happened,” Robinson said. “And I started to sort of live in this reality or this world where, maybe not reality, where I was just always going to be there… I think undoubtedly this is probably the best thing and the right thing, maybe arguably for both organizations — myself and the Heat. It doesn’t mean that I’m not grateful for my time there. But I’m really excited and thrilled for where I’m at now, and excited to be a part of this young and hungry Pistons team.“
Terry Rozier has fulfilled one of his legal obligations in his ongoing legal troubles, as the IRS confirmed in late October the satisfaction of an $8.2MM tax lien, writes Daniel Libit for Sportico. Rozier’s lawyer, Jim Trusty, stated at the time that Rozier only actually owed $9,000 on the lien and that he’d already paid it off and was just waiting for the IRS to remove it.

Heat Notes: Powell, Herro, Starters, Rotation, Spoelstra

November 27th, 2025 at 4:17pm CST by Rory Maher

Veteran wing Norman Powell almost immediately felt at home with the Heat after being acquired in an offseason trade, writes Mirin Fader of The Athletic. The 32-year-old is having a career year in his first season with Miami, averaging 24.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals on .494/.441/.884 shooting through 15 games (30.4 minutes per contest).

“I don’t mean to say anything in the wrong way, but this is like the purest form of basketball that I’ve played in a long time where you got no schemes of like, we’re trying to get this player going every single time down,” Powell said. “We’re playing in the flow, we’re playing for each other, we’re playing basketball the right way, we’re competing on both sides of the floor.”

Heat coaches and players admire that Powell continues to push himself to get better in his 11th NBA season, Fader adds.

“He has an open mind,” says Wayne Ellington, a Heat assistant coach and former NBA player. “He wants to learn and continue to grow even though he had a great experience already. … He always listens and is super coachable.”

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Tyler Herro shined once again on Wednesday after a stellar season debut on Monday, observes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The 25-year-old guard finished with 29 points (on 9-of-15 shooting), seven assists and five rebounds in 32 minutes in the win over Milwaukee. “I’m just trying to play off the catch,” he said. “I did that last year as well, and then that’s what I’m doing right now. I’m just trying to play off the catch and trying to create advantages in transition where I can get downhill or get to my spot before the defense gets set. And then in the half court, I’m just trying to make the right play. I feel like as I get my legs and my feet under me, I’m going to be able to play-make more and get into the paint more. I still have to strengthen my foot and feel fully comfortable jumping off my foot and exploding off my foot. It’s going to be a process for a couple weeks until I can fully feel comfortable.”
With a fully healthy roster on Wednesday, head coach Erik Spoelstra suggested the starting lineup might be matchup-based going forward, with the rotation remaining fluid as well, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. As Winderman notes, second-year center Kel’el Ware was moved to the second unit after starting nine of the past 10 games, while forward Nikola Jovic wasn’t part of the 10-man rotation in his first game back from a right hip injury. “None of it will be in cement and I don’t feel pressure to make it cement, whether it’s the starting lineup or whether it’s the rotation once we get into the bench,” Spoelstra said. “I’ve said it since the first day of training camp, we feel that our depth is one of our best strengths and we want to weaponize that.”
Wednesday’s win was the 800th of Spoelstra’s carer, making him the 17th coach in league history to reach that threshold, Winderman relays in another story. “It hasn’t sunk in yet, because I wasn’t aware of it,” Spoelstra said after the team’s sixth straight win. “But yeah, I guess it’s fitting that it comes on the eve of Thanksgiving. Like, I just feel incredible gratitude for this organization and all of these years, where the years are going by so fast. I’m having a hell of a time. I love what I do, I love coaching, I love this profession, I love working for this organization, I love working for, and with, amazing players and staff, like we have — too many to count over the years.”

Injury Notes: Leonard, Jerome, Murray-Boyles, Heat, Cavs

November 20th, 2025 at 6:56pm CST by Rory Maher

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard went through portions of Wednesday’s practice, though he didn’t do any contact drills, head coach Tyronn Lue told Law Murray of The Athletic and other media members (Twitter video link).

“He did a few things,” Lue said. ” … He’s definitely gotten better. I mean, I don’t know how long it’s gonna be (until he returns). But he’s definitely gotten better. Just seeing him on the floor yesterday was really good to see.”

Leonard, a two-time Finals MVP, was off to a strong start this fall prior to suffering right ankle and foot sprains on November 3. The Clips were 3-3 in the six games Leonard played but have gone just 1-7 without their highest-paid player. The 34-year-old missed his ninth straight game on Thursday in Orlando.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Free agent addition Ty Jerome has yet to play for the Grizzlies in 2025/26 after suffering a high-grade right calf strain during the preseason. The seventh-year guard will be reevaluated on Friday, with a return timeline expected to come in the days after that examination, tweets Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Collin Murray-Boyles, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2025 draft, will miss his second straight game on Friday due to an MCL sprain in his right knee, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca relays (via Twitter). The Raptors forward/center has averaged 8.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 20.0 minutes per game through 11 appearances as a rookie, with a shooting line of .500/.500/.762.
Heat forward Andrew Wiggins has been diagnosed with a left hip flexor strain and will be sidelined for his first game of the season on Friday in Chicago, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Fourth-year forward Nikola Jovic was ruled out of Wednesday’s game with a right hip impingement and will miss at least two more, as he didn’t travel with the team on its two-game road trip, Jackson reports.
While Cavaliers sharpshooter Sam Merrill will be out for the second straight contest on Friday with a right hand sprain, it’s possible point guard Darius Garland could return to action. The two-time All-Star is questionable against Indiana, per the NBA’s injury report, as are Jarrett Allen (right third finger strain) and Jaylon Tyson (concussion). Garland has missed the past five games after re-injuring his surgically repaired left great toe last week, but head coach Kenny Atkinson recently said the 25-year-old was “really close” to suiting up.

Bam Adebayo Cleared To Return For Heat

November 19th, 2025 at 4:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Heat star Bam Adebayo will return to action on Wednesday vs. Golden State, the team announced, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link).

Adebayo has been out since November 5, having missed Miami’s past six contests due to a left big toe sprain. The team held its own in his absence, winning four of six games and registering a pair of two-point victories over the conference-rival Knicks and Cavaliers during that stretch.

In his seven healthy games this season, Adebayo averaged 22.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game, with a .462/.356/.861 shooting line. He was averaging 6.4 three-point attempts per night in those first seven outings, which would be a career high by far — he shot 2.8 shots threes per game in 2024/25 after attempting a total of just 104 in his first seven seasons.

Kel’el Ware has been starting at center with Adebayo out and has recorded four consecutive double-doubles, with averages of 15.0 PPG and 14.3 RPG during that stretch. Ware and Adebayo started alongside one another five times earlier in the season, so Adebayo’s return doesn’t necessarily mean that head coach Erik Spoelstra will move the second-year big man back to the bench.

Either way, Ware figures to play a significant role, since the Heat will be monitoring Adebayo’s minutes in his first game back, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Additionally, while Adebayo will be backin action , the Heat won’t have a fully healthy frontcourt, as Nikola Jovic (hip) will miss Wednesday’s game, tweets Winderman.

The Heat will be taking on a shorthanded Warriors team. After previously ruling out Stephen Curry (right ankle soreness), Al Horford (left toe injury management), and Jonathan Kuminga (bilateral patellar tendonitis), Golden State has also downgraded Jimmy Butler (right low back strain) and Draymond Green (illness) to out, tweets Anthony Slater of ESPN.

Heat Notes: Jovic, Wiggins, Bam, Herro, Ware

November 14th, 2025 at 7:19pm CST by Rory Maher

Head coach Erik Spoelstra says the Heat are urging Nikola Jovic to take a more consistently professional approach so he can produce on a regular basis, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Jovic, who signed a four-year, $62.4MM rookie scale extension before the season began, has been plagued by bouts of inconsistency throughout his career. That has remained true in 2025/26 as well, with the 22-year-old forward having a couple excellent all-around performances mixed in with some forgettable showings.

“When he plays with a force of will and an intention, it’s always starting with him, and an approach every day, to approach a practice day and a shootaround and a film session like it’s really important,” Spoelstra said. “He’s made improvements with that. It’s still not where it needs to be, because he’s young and doesn’t see that it’s always important. But he’s getting there.

“And then it’s a matter of consistency. But you can see the possibilities when he has that intention and things are important to him.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

With Bam Adebayo sidelined due to a toe sprain, Miami has been starting Andrew Wiggins at power forward, with Jovic used as a small-ball center off the bench. Neither player has any complaints about his current role, according to Winderman. “I mean, it doesn’t matter to me too much,” said Wiggins. “As long as I can be out there competing, I just take on that competitive challenge. I’ve got to guard a bigger guy, so I’ve got to bring it. I’ve got to bring my physicality out, bring my competitive nature out, and take on that challenge.”
Adebayo and Tyler Herro made the trip to New York for Friday’s contest against the Knicks, but both players will remain sidelined, per Winderman. Adebayo will miss his fifth straight game, while Herro has yet to make his season debut after undergoing left ankle surgery in the offseason. As Winderman observes, the Heat announced when Herro had surgery that the All-Star guard was expected to miss around eight weeks — Friday marks eight weeks since that statement was issued.
While Adebayo isn’t expected to miss a significant chunk of time with his injury, there’s still no official timetable for the three-time All-Star’s return, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald states in mailbag. Chiang believes Kel’el Ware will likely move back to the bench when Adebayo resumes playing.

Heat Notes: Jaquez, Powell, Up-Tempo Approach, Jovic

November 9th, 2025 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Norman Powell both played through injuries on Saturday as the Heat picked up a win over Portland, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Miami was already short-handed with Bam Adebayo missing his second straight game due to a sprained big toe and Tyler Herro still recovering from offseason ankle surgery, so Jaquez and Powell were both needed despite suffering sprained ankles on Friday. Jaquez wound up with 14 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in 29 minutes, while Powell contributed 22 points, two rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes.

“Jaime at three o’clock was not cleared to play,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I mentioned that to the team, and he put himself out there. He spent three hours just trying to get his ankle ready. He even skipped the walkthrough just to continue to get treatment. And then he got cleared after that, gave us everything he had.”

After regressing during his second NBA season, Jaquez has emerged as one of the early favorites for Sixth Man of the Year honors, according to Chiang. He ranked third in the league in points off the bench entering Saturday’s game and has become one of the leaders of a potent reserve unit.

“We want to really take pride in being that energy booster for our team,” Jaquez said. “And so when we see the first unit, whether they’re going good or things are going slow, regardless, we want to just take that energy up to that next level.”

There’s more from Miami:

The Heat and Trail Blazers combined for 267 points in a battle of the league’s two fastest-paced teams, Chiang states in the same story. Spoelstra introduced the up-tempo style during training camp and believes his players have done a good job adapting to it. “Obviously, our guys are getting pretty comfortable with it,” he said. “Embracing the unknown, that was the first thing from media day. And both teams were attacking. This was a heck of a basketball game.”
Nikola Jovic has been through an up-and-down start to the season, so it was encouraging to see him produce 29 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals on Saturday. The Heat are counting on the young forward to be part of their foundation after giving him a four-year, $62.4MM extension last month. “I would have lied if I said that the last two weeks were easy because I felt like everything I did was wrong, and I was not helping this team at all,” Jovic tells Chiang in a separate story. “And I want to thank the coaches and everybody from the team for supporting me and letting me know that I’m important for the team. But my head just wasn’t there. I didn’t know how to help the team.”
With the Heat preparing to host the Cavaliers on Monday and Wednesday, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel looks at how the playoff sweep last spring revealed the need for change. Spoelstra was humiliated by the defeat, particularly in the two home games, which Miami lost by 37 and 53 points. “We were done at the end of April, and it was a very painful, embarrassing first-round loss,” Spoelstra said. “We had done a lot emotionally to earn that ticket to get into the playoffs, and we felt really proud about that, back-to-back (play-in) games on the road to earn that ticket. And it was just — it was embarrassing. And you had to credit Cleveland with that.”

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