Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo suffered a lower back injury during the second quarter of Tuesday's play-in game against the Charlotte Hornets. The injury occurred when Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball swiped at Adebayo's foot while both players were scrambling for a rebound along the baseline.

Adebayo remained down for several moments before walking gingerly to the locker room with 10:58 remaining in the second quarter. The Heat trailed 30-26 at the time of his exit and ultimately lost 127-126. Before leaving, Adebayo had scored six points on perfect shooting and grabbed three rebounds in the first half.

The Heat started the second half with Jaime Jacquez Jr. replacing Adebayo in the lineup. Miami's playoff positioning could be significantly impacted by the loss of their star center, who anchors both their offense and defense. The severity of Adebayo's back injury remains unclear as the team awaits further evaluation.