CHARLOTTE — Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo was injured and forced to the locker room in the second quarter of Tuesday night’s NBA play-in game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center, lost for the balance of the night.
Adebayo took a hard fall when tripped by the hand of Hornets guard LaMelo Ball while saving the ball from going out of bounds beneath the Heat basket with the Heat down 28-26.
Ball then scored 5-on-4 in transition, before the Heat called time with 10:58 left in the second period.
The entire Heat bench went out to check on their center, who then was helped off the court and into the locker room alongside Heat physician Harlan Selesnick.
Adebayo was replaced on the floor at that juncture by Kel’el Ware.
Adebayo at that stage was 3 of 3 from the field with three rebounds in his 11 minutes.
The Heat minutes later termed it a lower-back injury, with Adebayo questionable to return. Then, during the third quarter, the team announced he would not return.
With Adebayo out, forward Andrew Wiggins closed the first half at center for the Heat, with forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. starting the second half in his place.