Miami Heat without Bam Adebayo against Los Angeles Clippers

Center Bam Adebayo left guard Tyler Herro on Monday night as the Miami Heat’s last man to play in every game so far this season, with Adebayo sitting out against the Los Angeles Clippers.

After suffering a serious fall in Saturday night’s win over the Portland Trail Blazers, Adebayo continued to play, was downgraded to questionable earlier Monday and was listed as out with a lower back contusion 90 minutes before the game began at the Intuit Dome.

“He’s been dealing with it for a few days,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’s been treated a lot and it kind of got him this morning.

“We’ll treat it every day and check him again tomorrow.”

Herro and Adebayo had appeared in each of the first 37 games of the season before Monday.

Adebayo’s absence was due to forward Jimmy Butler missing the sixth game of a seven-game unpaid team suspension for “conduct detrimental to the team.”

Additionally, veteran guard Josh Richardson was sent home before Monday night’s game for an MRI scan of his sore right heel, having not played since Nov. 18.

The Heat’s six-game Western swing concludes on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena before continuing their home schedule on Friday against the Denver Nuggets at Kaseya Center.

This game against the Nuggets will be the first that Butler will be allowed to return.