Heat to remain without Victor Oladipo and Omer Yurtseven on Friday vs. Celtics

The Miami Heat will again be without guard Victor Oladipo and center Omer Yurtseven.

Oladipo (left knee tendinosis) and Yurtseven (left ankle impingement) have been ruled out for the Heat’s Eastern Conference finals rematch against the Boston Celtics on Friday at FTX Arena (7:30 p.m., Bally Sports Sun and ESPN). They both also missed the Heat’s season-opening loss to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, with the team labeling Oladipo and Yurtseven as day-to-day.

No other Heat player is on the injury report for Friday’s game against the Celtics.

The Heat is taking a cautious approach with Oladipo, especially because he has been through two surgeries on his right knee in the past three-plus years.

Oladipo, 30, endured two long recoveries stemming from a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee in January 2019 that ended up requiring a second surgery in May 2021. He waited until March 7 to make his season debut last season following an 11-month recovery.

It’s the other knee that’s the issue this time, but Heat coach Erik Spoelstra noted this week that “overcompensation” stemming from Oladipo’s past injuries could be part of the reason behind the pain he’s currently feeling.

After sitting out the Heat’s first three preseason games as he continued to work with the training staff to prepare his body for the long season ahead, Oladipo did play in the final two preseason games last week. He totaled 10 points on 4-of-18 (22.2 percent) shooting from the field and 1-of-7 (14.3 percent) shooting from three-point range, four rebounds, nine assists and three steals in 37 minutes during his two preseason appearances before missing the first two games of the regular season.

Yurtseven has been sidelined for the last two weeks because of his ankle injury. He hasn’t played in a game since the preseason opener on Oct. 4.

Without Oladipo and Yurtseven as options, the Heat used a bench rotation of Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, Dewayne Dedmon and Duncan Robinson in Wednesday’s loss to the Bulls. Haywood Highsmith also played as a reserve, but only for the final 28 seconds of the first half.

As for the Celtics, they will also be without two players. Forward Danilo Gallinari (left knee ACL repair) and center Robert Williams (left knee surgery) have been ruled out for Friday’s game in Miami.