The Heat will be down another starter when they attempt to close out the Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
In Game 4 of the series, Gabe Vincent went down with an ankle injury, forcing him to briefly exit the game before he returned to the floor. After a day of travel, Vincent's status has taken a turn for the worse.
What's next for Vincent and the Heat, who are one win away from the NBA Finals? Here is what we know about Vincent's status moving forward.
MORE: The latest news on Tyler Herro's return from injury
What is Gabe Vincent's injury?
In the fourth quarter of Miami's Game 4 loss to Boston on May 23, Vincent appeared to roll his ankle as he tried to recover his 3-point attempt that had just been blocked. A review of the play shows that Vincent rolled his ankle by landing awkwardly, though he did not land on anyone's foot.
Here is the play in which Vincent was injured:
His injury has officially been ruled as a left ankle sprain.
This has been a breakout postseason for Vincent. After averaging 9.4 points per game during the regular season, he has scored 15 or more points in eight of 15 playoff games, including a 29-point performance in Miami's blowout Game 3 win over Boston.
How long will Gabe Vincent be out?
Vincent's recovery time will depend on the severity of his ankle sprain. Generally speaking, there are three types of ankle sprains. Grade 1 is mild, Grade 2 is moderate and Grade 3 is severe.
If Vincent's sprain is on the lower end of the scale, he could be ruled active for Miami's next game, which would either be Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday, May 27, or Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, June 1.
Celtics vs. Heat schedule
Here is the complete schedule for the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals:
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| May 17 | Heat 123, Celtics 116 | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| May 19 | Heat 111, Celtics 105 | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| May 21 | Heat 128, Celtics 102 | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| May 23 | Celtics 116, Heat 99 | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| May 25 | Game 5 | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| May 27 | Game 6* | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| May 29 | Game 7* | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
*If necessary
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