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Star Player Ruled OUT for Heat-Clippers

The Miami Heat have updated their injury report against the LA Clippers.

Joey Linn

Jan 1, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) dunks against Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell (24) and forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the fourth quarter at Crypto.com Arena.
Jan 1, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) dunks against Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell (24) and forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the fourth quarter at Crypto.com Arena. / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
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The Miami Heat and LA Clippers are facing off at Intuit Dome on Monday. This is the return to action for LA after its Saturday night contest against the Charlotte Hornets was postponed due to the Los Angeles wildfires.

Kawhi Leonard will play his third game of the season on Monday night, as he missed LA’s last game against the Denver Nuggets. Heading home to be with his family affected by the fires, Leonard rejoined the Clippers when they returned from Denver.

While Leonard is playing, this game will be missing two star players, including one who was recently ruled out.

Kawhi Leonard and Bam Adebayo
Jan 1, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots against Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) during the fourth quarter at Crypto.com Arena. / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Already without Jimmy Butler, who is suspended from the team, Miami announced on Monday that Bam Adebayo is also out.

Via Miami Heat: “INJURY UPDATE: Bam Adebayo (lower back contusion) has been ruled out of tonight’s game vs the Clippers.”

Miami has won three-straight games, while the Clippers have lost four of their last five. The two teams have identical 20-17 records entering play on Monday night. 

Speaking with reporters before the game, Clippers head coach Ty Lue acknowledged the context of which this game is being played.

Lue:  “I hope it can bring some smiles to some faces. Get their thoughts off the devastating fires right now. Life experiences trump everything… that’s the most important thing. But hopefully we can step away for a few hours and enjoy basketball.”

The Clippers will look to do just that on Monday night.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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