How Heat’s Nikola Jovic made huge impact in injury return despite shooting struggles

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How Heat’s Nikola Jovic made huge impact in injury return despite shooting struggles

Zachary Weinberger, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Sat, Dec 27, 2025 ·

3 min read

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As the Miami Heat had a huge win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, 126-111, there was a bevy of standout performances, including the return of two key players to the rotation. While Heat's Pelle Larsson had a career night with 21 points in coming back from an ankle injury, Nikola Jovic had a different type of outing.

Jovic comes back from what at the time was a scary-looking arm injury on Dec. 15 against the Toronto Raptors , but turned out to be an elbow contusion/laceration. Missing time since then, he came back, and while the shots didn't fall, making three of 14 from the field, he finished with seven rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a +12 on the floor.

Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra would commend Jovic for the outing, down to seeing a change in his body language.

"I'll say this about Niko, I think this was a good step for him to be able to contribute and impact the game without making shots," Spoelstra said, via video from Heat Central on X, formerly Twitter. "And you didn't see some of the body language that sometimes has happened if he misses layups or misses open threes or has a turnover. He just got on to the next play and tried to help contribute to the next play. And he did some very good things."

Heat's Nikola Jovic on how he feels after returning from elbow injury

With the Heat looking to get back on track as the team was in a slump before the win over the Hawks, having lost eight of its last nine games, Jovic and others will be crucial. The 22-year-old would speak about returning to competing and how it "felt good to be out there," via video from HeatCulture on X.

"It felt good," Jovic said. "Maybe my shot didn't feel good today, but it felt good to be out there. Just competing. That's what I'm here to do. That's what I like to do, and that's why I play this sport. I knew Bam was out, so I had to do a little more dirty stuff. When I was a little younger, I hated it. But now you have to do it. That's your job, and that's how you're going to help the team."

At any rate, Jovic looks to keep stacking impactful outings with the next chance coming Saturday night as Miami takes on the Indiana Pacers with the team at 16-15.

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