Two Miami Heat rotation players likely to return vs. 76ers, Rozier remains out

The Heat is still dealing with injuries to key players as it heads into its crucial postseason play-in game Wednesday night at Philadelphia.

But there was good news regarding two of those players as Miami prepares to face the 76ers Wednesday at Wells Fargo Center (7 p.m. ESPN) for the right to the East’s No. 7 playoff seed.

The Heat listed forward Kevin Love (left ankle sprain) as available for Wednesday’s game and swingman Duncan Robinson (left facet syndrome) as probable on their latest injury report on Tuesday afternoon.

However, guard Terry Rozier (neck spasms) was listed as out for Wednesday’s game.

Rozier did not travel with the team to Philadelphia, which is concerning since the Heat, should it beat the 76ers, would travel directly to New York to begin a first-round playoff series against the Knicks this weekend.

Love, who was seen taking part in Tuesday’s practice at the Kaseya Center, appears ready to go after exiting Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Raptors with 22.8 seconds left in the first quarter with what initially was reported as a left upper arm contusion.

Love has established himself as the Heat’s backup center, and his presence could be valuable against a strong Philadelphia frontcourt reinforced by the presence of All-Star Joel Embiid.

“We’ll have a better idea [Wednesday],” Spoelstra said when asked about Rozier and Robinson’s potential status prior to the release of the injury report. “Everybody else is ready to go.”

Robinson, who has started in 17 consecutive appearances, appears likely to return.

He missed the final four games of the regular season with his lingering back injury. He missed five games last month with the back issue before returning to play in five games and was then sidelined again for the final four games of the regular season.

Rozier, who has started in 30 straight appearances, missed the final four games of the regular season.

The Heat also listed Tyler Herro (right foot medial tendinitis) as available and forward Josh Richardson (right shoulder surgery) is out for the season.

AN EDGE FOR JAQUEZ?

Jaime Jaquez Jr. appears to be rounding back into form as he approaches his first taste of postseason NBA basketball.

Although it’s a higher level of competition, Jaquez has some experience in winner-take-all or crucial one-game formats.

Jaquez played in such situations in college at UCLA including a memorable performance in 2021 in the Bruins’ First Four play-in game. Jaquez scored 27 points in an overtime win against Michigan State, which propelled UCLA’s run to the Final Four that year.

The Heat would not be eliminated should it lose against the Sixers, but would fall into an elimination game at home this Friday against either the Chicago Bulls or Atlanta Hawks.

“Playing big-time games in college, obviously it’s a different level but the intensity and the will to win is the same,” Jaquez said. “You’re playing for something a lot bigger than yourself. It’s intense. You lose, you have a chance to go home. You just have to bring that intensity and that energy and it’s a different level of competition.”

Jaquez scored 20 points and had a career-high nine assists in Friday’s win against the Raptors and followed that with 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting, four rebounds, five assists, one steal and two blocks in Sunday’s 118-103 win.

This followed a stretch of 16 games where Jaquez averaged only 7.3 points and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 29.4 percent shooting from three-point range.

“I feel like even a little before that (last two games) I caught a second wind during the season,” Jaquez said. “My body is feeling good, energy levels are high and I’m really excited to get to this postseason.”

REPORT: BAM BACK ON TEAM USA

ESPN reported on Monday that Bam Adebayo will be among the players selected for the United States’ Olympic squad this summer in Paris.

This would be Adebayo’s second Olympic experience with Team USA. He won a gold medal with Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics in his first experience with the national team in the summer of 2021.

Spoelstra declined to comment on Adebayo’s possible selection since the team has yet to be officially announced. Spoelstra is a Team USA assistant coach under national team head coach Steve Kerr.

Herro, Robinson, Jimmy Butler and Adebayo were all included in the 41-athlete player pool for the 2024 USA Basketball Men’s National Team.

According to the report, Adebayo would be joined on the roster by the Lakers’ LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Embiid, Phoenix’s Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday, Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards and Indiana guard Tyrese Haliburton.