MIAMI — In a tough blow for the Miami Heat, reserve guard Dru Smith exited the game against the Brooklyn Nets due to an injury to his lower left leg and did not return to the court. Following the Heat’s 110-95 triumph, head coach Erik Spoelstra revealed that Smith would undergo an MRI the following day to evaluate the severity of the injury.

“I am uncertain about the extent of the injury, and I prefer not to speculate until we have the MRI results,” Spoelstra stated. “It was a challenging situation for us for a while.”

Smith’s injury occurred early in the second quarter when, after losing the ball during a dribble, he fell to the floor in visible pain. He was promptly assisted off the court and into the locker room for assessment.

The 26-year-old Smith has experienced a tumultuous journey with the Heat, being waived and re-signed four times over his three-year career. However, he has seen an uptick in playing time recently, having logged 25 or more minutes in the last six games prior to his injury on Monday.

Coach Spoelstra expressed admiration for Smith’s perseverance, saying, “We hold immense respect for his path and the hurdles he has had to clear. I witnessed numerous sessions last year when there was no one else around, and he committed to relentless treatment and rehabilitation. His resilience is remarkable, and you find yourself genuinely rooting for players like Dru.”

The Heat were also short-handed, as star forward Jimmy Butler missed the game due to a stomach illness, marking his second straight absence.