Heat say Oladipo not traveling for West Coast trip

MIAMI (AP) — Victor Oladipo will not be with the Miami Heat when they depart Saturday for a four-game West Coast trip, and more evaluation will be required before the team knows the full extent of his right-knee issue.

Oladipo hurt the knee during the fourth quarter of Miami’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. He had 18 points in 25 minutes, and appeared to do something to the knee on a dunk with 5:51 remaining.

He was subbed out one possession later, left the court for evaluation and did not return.

The right knee is the same one that Oladipo injured in 2019, when he ruptured a quad tendon as a member of the Indiana Pacers. He missed a full calendar year and has appeared in only 52 regular-season games since.

He averaged 21.2 points in 20 games with Houston this season, and 12 points in his first four games with the Heat.

“We definitely need that guy,” Heat forward Jimmy Butler said Thursday night. “We want him back. Playing the way he played today, making shots, getting to the cup, getting to the line and getting everyone else involved. … We all want that guy to be OK.”

Miami plays Sunday at Portland, Tuesday at Phoenix, Wednesday at Denver and Friday at Minnesota. The next home game is April 18 against Brooklyn.

The reigning Eastern Conference champion Heat are 27-25 with 20 games left. They held the No. 6 spot in the East entering play Friday.