The Miami Heat are once again without key players Tyler Herro and Nikola Jovic for Saturday's game against the Indiana Pacers.
Here's the full injury report:
HEAT
Tyler Herro: Out (toe)
Nikola Jovic: Out (elbow)
Davion Mitchell: Available (ankle)
Norman Powell: Available (thumb)
Terry Rozier: Out (Not With Team)
Kasparas Jakucionis: Available (ankle)
Jaime Jaquez: Available (calf)
Jahmir Young: Doubtful (G League)
PACERS
Isaiah Jackson: Out - Concussion
Aaron Nesmith: Out - Knee
Ben Sheppard: Out - Calf
Obi Toppin: Out - Foot
Tyrese Haliburton: Out - Achilles
Here's the game preview:
Game time: 8 p.m., Kaseya Center, Miami
TV: FanDuel Sports Network
Betting line: Heat -8.5
VITALS:
The HEAT and Pacers meet for the first of three regular season matchups. Last season the teams split the series, 2-2. The HEAT are 58-76 all-time versus Indiana during the regular season, including 43-25 in home games and 15-51 in road games. Guard Pelle Larsson had a career-high 21 points in Friday's win against the Atlanta Hawks. Pacers forward Pascal Siakam ranks 20th in the NBA this season with 23.8 points per game. He has reached 30 or more points four times this season, matching his total from the 2024-25 regular season. Siakam set a season-high 36 points to go with 10 rebounds in the road win at Chicago, 12/5. Siakam has reached 20 or more points in 15 of his last 18 games. T.J. McConnell tied his season highs with 16 points and eight assists in 18 minutes off the bench at New Orleans last Saturday. He matched his season high again with 16 points Tuesday against Milwaukee. McConnell ranks fifth in the NBA this season in assists-per-turnover ratio at 4.32.
PROJECTED STARTERS
HEAT
G Davion Mitchell
G Norman Powell
C Kel'el Ware
F Bam Adebayo
F Andrew Wiggins
PACERS
F Bennedict Mathurin
F Pascal Siakim
C Jay Huff
G Quenton Jackson
G Andrew Nemhard
QUOTABLE
Heat guard Norman Powell on the return of Pelle Larsson: "He’s a gamer. Not only a gamer but a game changer. "With his energy, effort on both sides of the floor… Putting his face in the plays, getting fouls, we missed that about him. He continues to make winning plays whenever he’s on the floor in his minutes”
Heat forward Jaime Jaquez on Larsson's return: “We’re so happy to have him back in this lineup, He’s the ultimate energy guy — really just gives everybody life and a spark that we desperately needed…just shows how much of a hard of a worker and a great of a player he is.”
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of HeatRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com