CLEVELAND (AP) — Miami All-Star center Bam Adebayo will miss Wednesday night's game against Cleveland with a hip bruise, while the Cavaliers are again without star guard Donovan Mitchell because of a lingering hamstring issue.
Adebayo took part in the team's morning shootaround, but began feeling discomfort afterward. He consulted with the Heat medical staff before the decision was made for him to rest.
He missed a game earlier this season with the injury.
A team spokesman said Adebayo aggravated the hip bruise when he fell on it during a recent game. The 6-foot-9 Adebayo has scored at least 20 points in eight straight games and is averaging 22.8 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists.
Miami coach Erik Spoelstra will count on backups Thomas Byant and Orlando Robinson to help offset the loss of Adebayo, who is equally dominant on the defensive end.
Meanwhile, the Cavs continue to be short-handed.
Mitchell is out for the fourth straight game with a hamstring injury. He last played on Nov. 15 against Portland.
The Cavs have provided no details about Mitchell's injury other than to update his game status.
Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff insisted that Mitchell, who is averaging 29.2 points in his second season with Cleveland, has not suffered a setback.
“It's just a matter of him trying to get healthy,” Bickerstaff said. “We will always do what we have to do to make sure guys are right. They have to go through those steps and not skip those steps.”
The Cavs have won three games in a row without Mitchell and four straight overall. They beat defending champion Denver on Sunday and won in overtime at Philadelphia on Tuesday in an NBA In-Season Tournament game.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
