It’s been a quiet stretch for the Miami Heat. But spending nearly a week away from the floor has only made their rough patch feel louder. After four straight losses and five in the last six, they suddenly find themselves clinging to 6th in the East. But the standings are tight, and one win can flip the script. Enter the Toronto Raptors, who arrive in Miami dealing with their own slump. But the home side appears to be in trouble early in the game, with Nikola Jovic down.

With 3:38 left in the first quarter, Jovic went up for a shot in transition over Collin Murray-Boyles, but the play went wrong in midair. He lost his balance, crashed hard onto his back, and stayed down holding his hip, bringing play to a halt.

The stretcher was brought out immediately. But Jovic eventually walked to the locker room on his own, sporting a large brace on his right hand.

“Take a look at that right arm, the brace contraption,” the commentators said of Jovic, who smiled while walking off. “Jovic walking off under his own power.”

“That right arm will be examined,” the voices behind the mic added.

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Moments later, an update confirmed Jovic would not return due to an arm injury.

How did Nikola Jovic perform before leaving?

Miami was up 17-13 when Jovic’s night came to a sudden stop. He lasted just 12 seconds, made no mark on the scoreboard, and was ruled out for the rest of the game with an arm injury. For a young player finally in line for minutes, it was a brutal twist.

The timing hurt even more. Jovic had recently opened up about his frustration with inconsistent playing time. Erik Spoelstra didn’t use him at all in the NBA Cup quarterfinal loss to the Orlando Magic.

Before that, Jovic logged 31 minutes against the Sacramento Kings on December 6, but in the two games prior, he played a combined seven minutes. His role has been constantly shifting.

Still, Jovic has tried to stay grounded.

“If I’m the 11th guy from the bench, we’re going to be really good,” the 22-year-old player said. “I’m just staying ready… I guess at one point I’ll play again.”

This season, he’s averaging 7.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 39% from the field.

How did the Heat adjust without Jovic?

With Nikola Jovic done for the night, the Heat had to find a solution quickly. Keshad Johnson and Jaime Jaquez Jr became names to watch for extra minutes as the rotation reshuffled.

Since Jovic couldn’t shoot the free throws after being fouled by Murray-Boyles, the Raptors picked rarely used Keshad Johnson, who calmly made both shots, moving to 7 of 11 from the line.

Post-game injury update: X-rays on Jovic’s right arm came back negative, and he’ll undergo an MRI on Tuesday, according to Tim Reynolds of Associated Press.