The Miami Heat has needed to overcome injuries for most of the season and it appears the Heat will need to do
so again on Sunday. Four rotation regulars are on the Heat’s injury report for Sunday’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets at Kaseya Center (6 p.m., Bally Sports Sun).Jimmy Butler (right toe MP joint sprain) is listed as doubtful. Tyler Herro (right shoulder strain) and Kevin Love (left knee contusion) are listed as questionable. Kyle Lowry (left hand sprain) is listed as probable.
Butler has missed the last six games and Lowry has missed the last two games with their respective injuries. While Lowry’s return on Sunday seems likely, Butler’s return will probably have to wait. The hope is he’ll be able to play in Monday’s road game against the Brooklyn Nets on the second night of the home-and-road back-to-back set. Herro has sat out one game since hurting his shoulder in Wednesday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.But Love is a new addition to the injury report after recording five points and three rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench in Friday night’s 99-96 home win over the Orlando Magic. The Heat does expect Cole Swider to rejoin the team for Sunday’s game against the Hornets after a brief G League stint. He’s listed as probable on the injury report. But the Heat ruled out Dru Smith (right knee surgery), RJ Hampton (G League) and Jamal Cain (G League) for Sunday’s contest. The struggling Hornets, which has dropped 15 of their last 16 games, will also beCharlotte ruled out Gordon Haywood (left calf) and Mark Williams (lower back) for Sunday’s game in Miami. In addition, Brandon Williams (lower back) and PJ Washington (right foot) are doubtful, while Cody Martin (groin) and Frank Ntilikina (left tibia) are questionable. The Heat has been one of the most injured teams in the NBA this season, entering Saturday with the fourth-most missed games in the league this season due to injury at 128 games, according to Spotrac’s tracker. Miami is the only team among the top five on that list with a winning record, as the others in that group are the Memphis Grizzlies, Hornets, Detroit Pistons and Portland Trail Blazers. Those injury issues have led the Heat to use 21 different starting lineups in the first 38 games of the season. The only team in the NBA with more different starting lineups used than the Heat this season is the Dallas Mavericks, which entered Saturday having gone through 22 different starting groups.
