The Heat dropped a close game to Oklahoma City on Friday, but the toughest part of the night for Bam Adebayo came in the locker room, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Miami’s center had to get seven stitches above his left eye after being struck in the face early in the third quarter. He was able to return to the game a few minutes later, but he didn’t enjoy the medical procedure.
“I’m one of those people, I don’t really like needles,” Adebayo said. “So it’s kind of rough for me in the beginning. But if you love the game enough and obviously I do, and I love being out there with my teammates, you go through stuff like that.”
Adebayo remained effective even after the treatment, finishing with 17 points, 10 rebounds and a block in 36 minutes. The Heat outscored the Thunder by five points while he was in the game, and his determination to return inspired his teammates.
“That’s what makes Bam Bam,” Tyler Herro said. “He’s able to impact the game in so many ways. Then he gets hurt or gets his eye split open, and he’s able to get back here and get stitches and jump right back in the game. It shows how much he loves the game. He wants to be out there to help us win. That’s what you want out of your captain.”
There’s more on the Heat:
- Jimmy Butler sat out tonight’s game at Orlando after leaving Friday’s contest midway through the first quarter with a stomach illness, Chiang adds. It’s the sixth missed game of the season for Butler, who has been the subject of recent trade speculation. “We got to figure this thing out,” Adebayo said of playing without Butler. “You can’t harp on who’s in, who’s out. It’s about going out there and trying to get the W.”
- Herro is playing well enough to merit All-Star consideration, but actually being selected for the event will be difficult, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Herro is averaging 24.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists, which are all career highs, but he faces some strong competition to land an Eastern Conference backcourt spot. “I would love to be an All-Star,” he said, “but there’s a lot of good guards in the East when you think about it. So it’ll be tough.”
- Considering their lack of depth at point guard, the Heat should consider locking up Isaiah Stevens before he gets signed by another team, Winderman adds in a mailbag column. Winderman suggests promoting Dru Smith to a standard contract and giving his two-way slot to Stevens, who is currently with Miami’s G League affiliate in Sioux Falls. The Heat have a roster opening that must be filled by December 29.