Bam Adebayo goes down, Heat unable to slow Nikola Jokic and Nuggets
The Miami Heat returned to a building where they've long struggled, aiming for their first regular-season victory in Denver since 2016. Despite some optimism after rookie Kasparas Jakucionis was cleared to possibly make his NBA debut, the night quickly turned complicated.
Bam Adebayo’s injury setback
Early in the first quarter, Bam Adebayo stepped awkwardly while handing off to Norman Powell and appeared to injure his left foot. He left for the locker room and did not return, another blow to a Heat team already working through a list of injuries.
Rotation challenges for Erik Spoelstra
After Adebayo’s exit, coach Erik Spoelstra had to adjust on the fly. He initially tried to keep Kel’el Ware’s minutes separate from Nikola Jokic’s to manage the matchup, but injuries forced him to play Ware against the reigning MVP. Though Ware battled effectively in short stretches and fronted Jokic where possible, Miami’s inability to secure the defensive boards proved costly.
Rebounding disparity
“Fourteen offensive rebounds for Denver compared to one for Miami in the first half pretty much tells the story.”
That rebounding gap defined much of the first-half struggle. Without any true big men available—two-way center Vlad Goldin is currently with Sioux Falls—Spoelstra turned to Keshad Johnson as an undersized backup center, underscoring Miami’s difficult depth situation inside.
Author’s Summary
Miami’s hopes for a rare win in Denver collapsed after Bam Adebayo’s injury, leaving their defense and rebounding efforts overwhelmed by Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets.