Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Norman Powell both fought through ankle injuries to help the Miami Heat secure a win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
The Heat were already dealing with multiple absences – Bam Adebayo sat out his second straight game with a sprained big toe, and Tyler Herro remains sidelined as he continues to recover from offseason ankle surgery – so both Jaquez and Powell were called upon to play despite sustaining sprains the previous night.
Jaquez responded with an all-around performance, posting 14 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists in 29 minutes, while Powell added a strong offensive boost with 22 points, along with two rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes.
“Jaime at three o’clock was not cleared to play,” head coach Erik Spoelstra revealed. “I mentioned that to the team, and he put himself out there. He spent three hours just trying to get his ankle ready. He even skipped the walkthrough just to continue to get treatment. And then he got cleared after that, gave us everything he had.”
After experiencing a dip in production last year, Jaquez has reestablished himself as a key contributor off the bench and is emerging as an early contender for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award, Chiang notes.
Heading into Saturday’s matchup, he ranked third in the league in points scored off the bench and has become one of the emotional and energetic anchors of Miami’s second unit.
“We want to really take pride in being that energy booster for our team,” Jaquez said after the game. “And so when we see the first unit, whether they’re going good or things are going slow, regardless, we want to just take that energy up to that next level.”
ICYMI: Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Norman Powell both played through injuries on Saturday as the Heat picked up a win over Portland. That + more on the Heat. https://t.co/3pOLqwtI94
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) November 10, 2025
