Heat dealt another crushing injury blow ahead of pivotal Game 5 in Boston

The Miami Heat will be down another key contributor for what could be the last game of their season.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been ruled out for Wednesday night’s Game 5 in Boston with a right hip flexor strain, the team announced Tuesday. Jaquez briefly went to the locker room during Monday night’s loss and did not play in the fourth quarter.

After the game, coach Erik Spoelstra said Jaquez was experiencing tightness in his right side. 

“Just my right hip. Felt something give at the beginning of the second quarter going up for a rebound,” Jaquez said from his locker room after the game. “Take it day by day.”

Unfortunately for the Heat, they might not have many days left. Jaquez joins starters Jimmy Butler (knee) and Terry Rozier (neck) on the injury report. Butler and Rozier have not played this series and the Heat trail 3-1 at least partly because of it. A Celtics in on Wednesday night would end Miami’s season. Even if the Heat were to win in Boston, they would still have to win the next two with an undermanned squad against the top seed in the East. In other words, yikes.

It’s also an unfortunate turn for Jaquez, who has impressed in his rookie season and this series. Starting in place of Butler, Jaquez averaged 12.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3 assists in his first-ever playoff series.

With Jaquez sidelined, the Heat could opt to start Duncan Robinson or Haywood Highsmith alongside Tyler Herro, Caleb Martin, Nikola Jovic and Bam Adebayo.