Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo will be sidelined for the foreseeable future after picking up a finger injury in Monday's loss to the Denver Nuggets. The Heat announced the unfortunate news on Wednesday, with tests revealing that Adebayo suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb.
Adebayo's injury adds to Heat's woes
Adebayo injured his right thumb during the third quarter of the Heat's 120-111 loss at FTX Arena. He was going for a layup attempt when the incident occurred. Adebayo managed to finish the game, racking up a double-double with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Fifteen of those points came in the third period when the injury transpired.
The team announced that Adebayo would undergo surgery this Sunday to repair the torn ligament in his right thumb. He is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks because of the procedure. That would cause Adebayo to miss around 15 to 20 games, a devastating development for the Heat.
Adebayo told reporters that Sunday's surgery is his only option and that he "can't do anything about it." Losing Adebayo is a big blow for the Heat, who have been plagued with injuries to their key players to start the 2021-22 season. He is one of the league's best two-way players, averaging 18.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.1 steals through 18 games this season.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra acknowledged that replacing Adebayo will be tough as he "is one of the most dynamic, unique players in the league." Spoelstra described Adebayo as an "absolute hybrid on both ends of the court and one of the most unique players in the entire association."
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Heat struggle without Adebayo in loss to Cavs
The Heat felt Adebayo's absence on Wednesday night as the Cleveland Cavaliers bludgeoned them at home. The Cavs cruised to a 111-85 win over the Heat, who was also missing the services of forward Jimmy Butler. The Cavs took full advantage as they finally snapped their 20-game losing skid in Miami.
Dewayne Dedmon, who was inserted into the starting lineup in place of Adebayo, recorded 11 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists in 31 minutes of action. The Heat's backcourt struggled with Kyle Lowry and Duncan Robinson firing blanks against the Cavs.
Lowry scored just seven points on 2 of 9 shooting from the field. Robinson was even worse, going scoreless in 20 minutes of action. He missed all seven of his field-goal attempts, six of which came from beyond the arc. His only contribution in the game was a solitary steal, drawing the ire of Heat fans.
Tyler Herro carried the scoring cudgels for the Heat, leading the team with 21 points on 9 of 23 shooting from the floor, including 2 of 7 from deep. Herro also dished out six assists for the Heat, who dropped to 13-9 for the season.
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