Overview
- Miami listed Adebayo with a left big-toe sprain and ruled him out for Monday in Cleveland, his third consecutive absence after being hurt in last Wednesday’s loss in Denver.
- The Heat have won the two games without him, beating the Hornets and Trail Blazers, and are 6-4 after Saturday’s 136-131 victory in Portland.
- Under a new up-tempo approach, Miami leads the league in pace and ranks near the top in scoring, with coaches and players saying Adebayo normally stabilizes the attack.
- Cleaning The Glass data shows Miami’s defensive-rebound rate at 75.1% with Adebayo on the floor but just 64.1% without him, underscoring a key vulnerability.
- Kel’el Ware has been starting with smaller, wing-heavy groups, and while no return timetable has been provided, Adebayo’s next chance to play comes Wednesday in a rematch with Cleveland.