Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. will not play in Game 5 in the first round of the playoffs against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday due to a right hip flexor strain, the team announced.
Jaquez suffered the injury on Monday in Game 4. He didn’t play in the fourth quarter of the 102-88 loss in Miami, finishing with nine points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal and one blocked shot in 22 minutes, 10 seconds of work.
He said the injury is a new one and he is classified as day-to-day. With the Heat down 3-1 in the series, Jaquez isn’t guaranteed to play again this season.
#MIAvsBOS INJURY UPDATE: Terry Rozier (neck) and Jaime Jaquez, Jr. (right hip flexor strain) have both been ruled out of tomorrow night’s Game 5 vs the Celtics.
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) April 30, 2024
Jaquez joined a growing injury report for the Heat, with Jimmy Butler (knee), Terry Rozier (neck) and Josh Richardson (shoulder) all ruled out of playing in Game 5. The team must now find a substitute for Jaquez, who replaced Butler in the starting lineup.
The 18th pick emerged as a key player for the Heat, averaging 11.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and one steal on 48.9% shooting from the field in 75 games in the regular season. He is averaging 12.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and three assists in four playoff appearances.
The Heat, who last year advanced to the NBA Finals, are on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs. They enter Game 5 on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. EDT, TNT) as 13.5-point underdogs in Boston.
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