The Miami Heat will be without starting point guard Gabe Vincent when they take on the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals at TD Garden on Thursday night.
Vincent was ruled out Thursday morning due to the ankle injury he suffered in Game 4.
Celtics players Marcus Smart and Al Horford were asked about how Vincent’s absence might impact Miami, seeing as he averaged 17.5 points per game in the first four games of the series. During that stretch, Vincent shot 58% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc while playing nearly 35 minutes per game.
“Nothing at all,” Smart told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin when asked what it means for Boston. “They got the next-guy mentality. And they got a lot of guys coming off their bench that can fulfill their roles. … But it doesn’t change for us and it doesn’t change for them. Anybody that they put in we got to respect and we got to go out there and play.”
Horford also played it close to the vest but admitted what many (other than Smart) would.
“Well, obviously it affects them,” Horford told reporters, per CLNS Media. “He’s been playing really good basketball, been playing as good as I’ve seen him play. So definitely affects them.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra opted not to disclose who would replace Vincent in the starting lineup but noted veteran guard Kyle Lowry is expected to see additional minutes. The 37-year-old Lowry averaged 11.2 points per game this season. However, he scored 15 points on 50% from the field in Miami’s Game 1 win in Boston when he played just shy of 28 minutes.
Tipoff from TD Garden is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET.
