Overview
- An MRI confirmed a Grade 1 strain of Powell’s right groin and the team labeled him week-to-week after he exited Thursday’s loss at Philadelphia in the second quarter.
- He is expected to miss at least four games before re-evaluation, starting with Houston on Saturday, followed by Brooklyn on Tuesday and Thursday, then Charlotte on Friday.
- Coach Erik Spoelstra said Powell overextended the same groin on a defensive slide against Tyrese Maxey after being cleared to play despite pregame soreness.
- Powell is Miami’s leading scorer at about 22.5 points per game; the AP notes the Heat are 22-16 when he scores 19 or more and 9-13 otherwise.
- With Powell sidelined, Herro is poised for an expanded role and Nikola Jovic is out vs. Houston with back management, while Powell’s recurring soft-tissue issues continue to factor into extension timing discussions.