The Miami Heat will be down a key piece tonight as they host the Atlanta Hawks at Kaseya Center. Forward Andrew Wiggins, a late addition to the injury report, has been ruled out with a hamstring issue. It's a tough blow for a Heat squad already navigating a growing list of absences.
Here’s where things stand on the injury front:
HEAT INJURY REPORT
- Norman Powell: Questionable (Personal Reasons)
- Tyler Herro: Out (Ribs)
- Terry Rozier: Out (Not with team)
- Nikola Jovic: Questionable (Hip)
- Andrew Wiggins: Out (Hamstring)
HAWKS INJURY REPORT
- N’Faly Dante: Out (Knee)
- RayJ Dennis: Doubtful (G League)
- Nikola Djurisic: Doubtful (G League)
- Caleb Houstan: Doubtful (G League)
- Onyeka Okongwu: Out (Dental)
- Kristaps Porzingis: Questionable (Achilles)
- Duop Reath: Out (Foot)
With Wiggins out, Miami may need to shuffle its projected starting lineup, which had him slotted at forward alongside Bam Adebayo and Pelle Larsson in the frontcourt. Davion Mitchell and Simone Fontecchio are expected to round out the backcourt.
Projected Starters - Miami Heat
- G: Davion Mitchell
- G: Simone Fontecchio
- F: Pelle Larsson
- F: Andrew Wiggins
- C: Bam Adebayo
Projected Starters - Atlanta Hawks
- G: Dyson Daniels
- G: Nickeil Alexander-Walker
- F: Zaccharie Risacher
- F: Jalen Johnson
- C: Mouhamed Gueye
Game Info
- Time: 7:30 p.m.
ET
- Location: Kaseya Center, Miami
- TV: FanDuel Sports Network
- Betting Line: Heat -5.5
This marks the second of four regular-season meetings between these two Eastern Conference teams. The Heat took the first matchup back on December 26 in Atlanta, pulling away with a 126-111 win. That victory was part of a dominant stretch for Miami in this head-to-head series-they’ve now won three straight against the Hawks and seven of the last eight when playing at home.
Historically, Miami has had Atlanta’s number. The Heat hold an 82-61 all-time advantage in the regular season, including a commanding 52-20 record at home.
But Atlanta rolls in with a rising star in Jalen Johnson, who’s been nothing short of electric lately. Johnson is coming off his eighth triple-double of the season-a league-best in the East-after dropping 33 points, 12 boards, and 10 assists in Indiana on January 31.
He also added three steals in a complete two-way performance. That was Johnson’s third 30-point triple-double of the year, trailing only Nikola Jokic (6) and Luka Dončić (5) league-wide.
He’s now passed Dominique Wilkins for fourth-most games in franchise history with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists-a stat that speaks volumes about his all-around impact.
As for the Heat, head coach Erik Spoelstra continues to find silver linings in the development of his younger players. He praised rookie big man Kel’el Ware’s performance in a recent game against the Bulls, highlighting his defensive energy and offensive versatility.
“He’s part of that young gun crew,” Spoelstra said. “He moved the ball, gave us vertical spacing, and knocked down the three when needed.
Those are things we can build on.”
With so many rotation players sidelined, Miami will need that kind of growth from its young core tonight. And against a Hawks team with a playmaker like Johnson heating up, the margin for error is razor thin.
Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. in South Beach.