After leading his team in the first half against the Hornets, rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. suffered an injury and did not return to the game for the second half of the game with the Miami Heat.
MIAMI – After scoring 15 points in 15 minutes of play in the first half, Mexican-American player Jaime Jaquez Jr. suffered a left groin strain and left the Miami Heat’s game against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night.
Jacquez Jr. left the Hornets game after leading his team in points in the first two quarters, the team reported on social media.
The Heat guard will not travel for a two-game road trip that begins on Monday at the Brooklyn Nets and continues on Wednesday at the Toronto Raptors.
#CHAvsMIA INJURY UPDATE: Jaime Jaquez Jr. left tonight’s game against the Hornets with a left groin strain. He will not come back.
– Miami Heat (@MiamiHEAT) 15 January 2024
Jacquez Jr. suffered a similar injury before the season started, but he believes it is not as serious.
“It slowly started getting worse during the game. I don’t think it’s that serious, but we are considering a lot of preventive measures right now,” Jacquez Jr. said.
Playing as a starter, Jacquez Jr. made 7 of his 11 shots at the basket, adding five rebounds, two assists and one steal. He had no three-point shots and made his only penalty shot of the game.
Jacquez Jr. has been one of the great revelations of the season and has already been named Rookie of the Month. In 38 games, he averaged 30.6 minutes and 14 points per game, scoring 51% of his shots, in addition to 0.7 steals, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists.
In the end, the Heat won an overwhelming 104-87 victory over the Hornets.