標籤: rib

The Indiana Pacers will be without Ivica Zubac for the remainder of the 2025-26 season after the veteran center suffered a rib fracture.

According to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star, Zubac suffered a concussion during Wednesday’s game and will not return this season.

“Recently acquired Pacers center Ivica Zubac suffered a fractured rib in Wednesday’s game and will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season,” Dopirak reports.

“Zubac left the game with a head injury after being hit by an elbow from Portland center Donovan Clingan, but he also had an ice pack with him while speaking to media members after the game.”

Zubac played through the injury in Indiana’s 127–119 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers and finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists and one block. He shot 7 of 18 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line in 23 minutes.

Pacers’ frontcourt is vacant due to Ivica Zubac’s injury amid consecutive losses

The 29-year-old was in the early stages of his Pacers tenure after being acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers at the trade deadline. In five games with Indiana, Zubac averaged 11.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 47.2 percent from the field in 23.6 minutes per contest under a minutes restriction.

Prior to the trade, Zubac was enjoying a productive season with Los Angeles, averaging 14.4 points, 11 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 43 games, including 42 starts, while shooting 61.3 percent from the field.

His absence leaves a significant void in Indiana’s frontcourt as the team is going through a difficult season. The Pacers enter the game at 15-55 and are in the midst of a franchise-record 15-game losing streak.

Indiana will try to regroup as it begins a two-game road trip against the San Antonio Spurs (52-18) on Saturday night at 8 pm ET.

With Zubac sidelined for the remainder of the season, the Pacers will likely turn to their remaining frontcourt options as they evaluate roster pieces heading into the offseason.

Looking to make an impact after the All-Star break, the Miami Heat got off to an explosive start with a 128-97 win over the Atlanta Hawks with the return of a key piece to the puzzle. As soon as Heat star Tyler Herro returned to practice on Thursday after missing the previous 15 games, he came back on Friday night, and made an immediate impact that caught the attention of captain Bam Adebayo.

It has been a disappointing season for Herro to say the least, as in addition to missing the last 15 fixtures, he has been absent in 45 of the 57 games he has played so far. Coming off the bench in the win at Atlanta, he led the team with 24 points on nine of 14 shooting from the field, two of four from deep, four rebounds and three assists.

For Adebayo, who recorded 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists, it is not surprising to see how Herro could impact Miami, but he felt the guard has an “edge” to him.

“We know what Tyler can do – it’s not a shock…but I think he had an edge about him today, and he showed it,” Adebayo said, via the team’s video, which was posted on Twitter by HeatCulture, formerly of X.

Bam Adebayo on Tyler Herro’s return:

“We know what Tyler can do – it’s not a shock… but I think he had an edge about him today and he showed it.”

24 points in 23 minutes from Hero😮💨 pic.twitter.com/6EOI01Hr19

– 𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙂𝙡𝙩𝙂𝙧𝙚 (@WadexFlash) 21 February 2026

It was Herro’s 11th game of the season, which was an “encouraging” sign to see, as head coach Erik Spoelstra reiterated.

“It was definitely exciting,” Spoelstra said. “Obviously, it’s been a unique season for him. We know how competitive he is; we know how much he wants to be there. But these are things you can’t control. But we’ve never forgotten about the talent he brings. He changes our dynamic tremendously.”

Heat’s Tyler Herro speaks on his return from rib injury

While the Heat are looking to turn their season around after finishing close to a .500 record and finishing eighth in the Eastern Conference, Herro’s involvement could reflect the totality of what this team is really like. At the end of the day, Herro’s health is paramount to as far as this team can reach.

“It felt great,” Herro said. “Finally, it was amazing to be out there. To be out there with my teammates, playing games and getting into my routine again. It felt good.”

The focus has now turned to what his role will be at Will, whether he will continue to come off the bench or return to the starting lineup. After missing 13 games with a toe injury, Spoelstra benched him in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 6, but returned to the starting lineup.

“Right now we’re just trying to get him out of there,” Spoelstra said. “We’re going to manage the minutes. I’m not thinking too much about it, I’m not putting anything into it, I don’t have a timeline for anything.”

That remains to be seen, but the answer will be revealed soon as Miami takes on the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night.

MIAMI – Miami Heat star Tyler Herro returned to practice Thursday after missing the last 15 games due to a rib injury, with his status for Friday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks likely to be revealed. With rumors swirling as to when the Heat guard will return to Herro, it looks like the answer has been resolved by the injury report.

Miami is listing Herro as “probable” for Friday’s game as the team travels to take on the Hawks, which is a significant point in time for a guard who has missed not only the last 15 games due to injury, but has been absent 45 games this year.

He would miss the first 17 games of the season due to an offseason ankle injury, then missed 13 games due to a toe injury, and an injury that was listed as “Right costochondral; rib injury”. In reference to his role with the team in his first game since January 15, he was asked on Thursday afternoon if he would come off the bench, thus he returned from a toe injury on January 6, but then started after that contest.

“I don’t know, we’ll see what happens if I’m able to play tomorrow. Whatever minutes I get, I’m just happy to be out here again, playing with my teammates and playing a game that I finally love,” Herro said.

Tyler Herro speaks after returning to practice (fully) after missing the last 15 games due to a rib injury. Will travel with the team, but not sure whether he will play tomorrow or not.

Talked about recovery, their disappointing season, Norman Powell being an All-Star, etc. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/FX13kYtkCE

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 19 February 2026

Herro told ClutchPoints that he suffered three broken ribs, and he played three games on Torodol shots to deal with the pain, but he would be unable to play the entire season that way due to his absence.

In the 11 games he has played, Herro has averaged 21.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, while shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from beyond the arc.

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra returning to rotation on Tyler Herro

While the Heat are coming off the All-Star break, the team is still looking for a level of consistency, as injuries have been a problem plaguing the team, such as Herro’s continued absence. When Herro returns, no matter what role he plays, his offensive impact cannot be denied and head coach Erik Spoelstra said how “exciting” it was to see the guard back at practice at full strength.

“But it was very exciting to have Tyler out here in practice. You know, he’s done everything he’s needed to do over the last few weeks to prepare for this. And it’s exciting to have him back in the mix. We’re all excited about it,” Spoelstra said.

Erik Spoelstra talks about Tyler Herro’s return to practice and how “exciting” it was to see him socializing with the team.

As Herro said earlier, I’m not committed to him playing tomorrow. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/3f1kwQ37we

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 19 February 2026

With 26 games left in the season, Spoelstra will look to find ways to get the best out of Herro, especially with Norman Powell and Bam Adebayo, as the trio have only played in eight games together this season. While that means there will be less playing time for any player on the roster, Spoelstra says there are “levels of sacrifice” that need to be made.

“Let’s not forget, Tyler is a talent,” Spoelstra said. “We need to maximize our rotation, we need our talent; we need to put it together fast. We know what our identity is on both sides of the floor; our guys have a stake in what we’re trying to do. There’s going to be some level of sacrifice throughout the rotation. If all the guys are available then that’s how it should be.”

Erik Spoelstra speaks on using different lineups with Tyler Herro back: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/WJ3kkC7gWF

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 19 February 2026

At any rate, Miami is 29-27, which puts them in eighth place in the Eastern Conference as Herro looks to officially return to action on Friday in Atlanta.