MIAMI — The NBA play-in/playoff race is turning into a battle of attrition for the Miami Heat.
Having previously listed guard Norman Powell and forwards Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jovic out for Tuesday night’s game against the Washington Wizards at Kaseya Center, the Heat at midday Tuesday also listed center Kel’el Ware as out.
In addition, Tyler Herro surfaced on the Heat injury report with soreness in his left quadriceps, later declared out against the Wizards.
“He wants to be out there. He understands this time of the year,” coach Erik Spoelstra said of Herro before Tuesday night’s game. “He’s missed enough time that he wants to go for it. That’s the way he’s wired. He sees that we’re playing good basketball right now, but we’ll see. We’ll be responsible with it.”
Ware strained his right shoulder late during Sunday night’s victory over the Detroit Pistons. This marks his first absence in 18 games, since he missed the Jan. 25 road victory in Phoenix with a hamstring stain. That four-game absence are the only games missed this season by the second-year center who has come on strong recently in a reserve role.
“Yeah, it happened on one of those rebounds, but he was able to figure it out today,” Spoelstra said before Tuesday night’s game. “It looks encouraging, so he’ll just do a treatment and then we’ll figure out when he can get back out there.
“I know he wants to get back out there soon.”
Tuesday night’s game marked the sixth consecutive absence for Powell due to a strained right groin, having now missed 11 of the past 17 games due to a combination of time off for the birth of his daughter, lower-back tightness and now the groin strain. He was listed as week-to-week with the groin strain on Feb. 27.
The Wizards matchup marked the third consecutive game Wiggins has missed with an inflammation of his left big toe, an ailment that also had him out for a game last month.
Jovic has now missed the past nine games for injury management of his lower back, having last played in the Feb. 20 road victory over the Hawks.
Amid the latest injury concerns, the Heat were bolstered by a pair of reinforcements.
Simone Fontecchio, who had missed the past three games with a strained left groin, was cleared to return Tuesday.
In addition, forward Keshad Johnson was recalled from his G League stint after missing four games on assignment with the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Guard Jahmir Young remains on assignment to the Skyforce as part of his two-way contract, with Terry Rozier still away from the team on NBA leave amid federal charges in the FBI gambling investigation.
While the Heat are playing in a tight battle for postseason seeding, the Wizards continue in their race to the bottom, in a bid to firm up their lottery odds.
After initially listing guard Trae Young as available for Tuesday night, his status was changed to being out due to knee injury management.
Also out by the Wizards were Anthony Davis (finger), Kyshawn George (elbow), D’Angelo Russell (not with team), Jamir Watkins (foot) and Cam Whitmore (shoulder).
The Heat have two additional games remaining against the Wizards this season, April 4 at home and April 10 in Washington.