Nikola Jovic gives insight into latest mid-season back injury
With Miami Heat in victory over Houston Rockets on Saturday, the team still wants to get some wins in the home part of the season Nikola Jovic looks like he’ll be out for the foreseeable future. As it is Heat’s young forward Jovic has been working to turn his season arounda back injury is another setback in a frustrating year.
Jovic missed the final four games of the season with what was labeled “lower back injury management,” as he will miss more time after already being listed for Tuesday’s home game against the Brooklyn Nets. 22 year old it would give an insight into how he feels.
“I don’t feel good in my back,” Jovic said, according to The Miami Herald. “The scan shows that I have some inflammation and one of my nerves doesn’t look good at the moment.”
The 2022 first-round pick would miss some time in his rookie season with a back injury, but he downplayed that there was a direct correlation.
“I was worried, but I don’t think it’s the same thing,” Jovic said. “The way my back is structured, I just have to manage the way I prepare for things and the way I prepare for games and practice and everything. I have to make sure it’s always ready for whatever intensity I put it at.”
The Heat’s Nikola Jovic is now dealing with a back injury at the top of last year
Doc Jović extended his contract with the Heat of 62.4 million dollarsspanning four years, the team saw year-over-year improvement from players to warrant the deal.
This season has been a reality check, however, as he’s averaging 7.5 points while shooting 37 percent from the field and 27.2 percent from deep in 17.6 minutes per game, the lowest of his career since his freshman season.
“I felt like this was the moment when I didn’t play much, and everything was worse even though I didn’t play,” Jovic said. “I just had to stop because when it bothers you outside of basketball and it starts to bother you doing regular things in life, I feel like that’s where the decision came, I just couldn’t take it anymore.”
It remains to be seen how much time Jovic misses with the Heat at 32-29, which puts them in eighth place in the East before Tuesday’s game against the Nets.
2026-03-02 23:08:00
