Heat Fall 122–112 to Nuggets as Bam Adebayo Exits with Foot Injury
Any uncertainty about the Miami Heat’s most vital player was resolved early in their eighth game of the season when Bam Adebayo left the court with a left foot injury. Without him, the Heat couldn’t keep pace, suffering a 122–112 loss to the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena.
“Obviously it was too much to play through,” Adebayo said, “and you don’t want to risk anything that could cause lingering effects.”
Adebayo shared that he expects to undergo an MRI on Friday in Miami.
“I felt pain in my foot, so I decided to step out and see what was going on,” he said. “We’ll get more tests tomorrow and see how it goes.”
Already undersized, the Heat relied heavily on 7-foot rookie Kel’el Ware in the paint. Despite his effort, the team struggled against Denver’s physicality, dropping to a 4–4 record.
“Hope it’s nothing serious and he can return soon,” Ware said about Adebayo.
Nikola Jokic once again proved dominant, recording a triple-double with 33 points, 16 assists, and 15 rebounds by midway through the third quarter. It marked the Nuggets’ 11th consecutive win over the Heat. Miami’s top scorers were Norman Powell with 23 points, Andrew Wiggins with 22, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. with 21.
Author’s Summary
The Heat’s loss to Denver underscored Bam Adebayo’s importance as his early foot injury left Miami struggling to match Nikola Jokic’s dominance in another Nuggets victory.