Miami Heat rookie forward Nikola Jovic will be sidelined for at least four weeks due to a lower back stress reaction, the team announced on Tuesday.
Jovic has dealt with the injury throughout the season and aggravated it Saturday on assignment in the NBA G League with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He recorded four points, three rebounds, two blocks and one assist in 25 minutes in a loss to the Ontario Clippers.
The 27th pick returned to Miami on Monday to undergo further examination of the injury. He didn’t appear in the first two games of their five-game West Coast road trip and last played on Dec. 28 in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jovic has made 15 appearances with the Heat, including eight starts, averaging 5.5 points and 2.1 rebounds. He made six straight starts in November with the team down several players and averaged 9.3 points, four rebounds and 1.5 assists in that stretch.
He has also spent time previously with the Skyforce. He is averaging seven points, seven rebounds and 3.7 assists in six games and produced his best game in the G League on Dec. 12: 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Jovic has dealt with his injury for much of the season with it flaring up more recently. The team will certainly be cautious with him and not rush him back into action to risk further injury.
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