MIAMI – The time has come. Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro are returning for the Miami Heat.
After missing the past 18 games with a sprained right ankle sustained in the Nov. 8 road victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, Herro on Sunday was listed as being available for Monday night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Kaseya Center.
And it is the same designation now for Adebayo, who has missed the past seven games with the left-hip contusion initially sustained in October
A complete rotation, however, will be put on hold at least one more game, with point guard Kyle Lowry listed as out for Monday due to soreness, just the second game the Heat will be without the 37-year-old point guard.
As Jimmy Butler on Saturday night drained his first game-winning shot with zeros on the clock as a member of the Heat, in the 118-116 victory over the visiting Chicago Bulls, it was clear that reinforcement was on the way, as Herro sprinted to midcourt in jubilation and Adebayo had no hesitation about jumping into the chaotic embrace with teammates.
Saturday already was an encouraging start, with former starting power forward Haywood Highsmith back after missing five games with a lower-back contusion and backup guard Josh Richardson back after sitting out a pair of games, the second with back spasms
“It’s really gonna show how deep this team is,” veteran center Kevin Love said of the march to something closer to whole, “and I think in ways we’re not going to surprise ourselves, but we’re going to surprise people in that we have a very deep bench, guys that can fill a lot of spots, guys that can play different positions night in and night out.
“But we’re missing a lot of firepower, as well. We’re missing guys on both sides of the ball, so it’s good to get J-Rich and H back, as well.”
In the interim, amid the absences, there has been plenty of harrowing in crafting the 15-11 record the Heat take into Monday night, at the conclusion of this four-game homestand.
