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8 hours ago
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The San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama are looking to remain undefeated when they face the Miami Heat on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET, though the Frenchman's primary backup will be sidelined once again.
Luke Kornet will miss his third consecutive contest due to a sprained left ankle, according to the NBA's official injury report. He'll join De’Aaron Fox, Kelly Olynyk, Jeremy Sochan and Lindy Waters III on the sidelines, leaving San Antonio shorthanded in the frontcourt.
As for the Heat, Norman Powell is expected to join Tyler Herro, Kasparas Jakucionis and Terry Rozier on the shelf, while Nikola Jovic is listed as probable.
MORE: Why De'Aaron Fox isn't playing tonight vs Heat, injury update
What Luke Kornet's absence means for Spurs
Kornet has appeared in two regular-season games for San Antonio thus far, averaging 8.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 blocks across 25.0 minutes per game. The Spurs’ banged-up center group will likely continue relying on veteran big man Bismack Biyombo to absorb some of Kornet's minutes.
Without Kornet and Olynyk, Biyombo has averaged 13.0 minutes per game over his last two outings. While the 33-year-old hasn't made much of an impact in the box score, he should continue to see increased playing time behind Wembanyama.
With Sochan also sidelined, Keldon Johnson and rookie Carter Bryant are also candidates to take on increased minutes in the frontcourt.
While the Spurs will look to keep their winning streak alive, Kornet will aim to return in Sunday's matchup against the Phoenix Suns. The Spurs are expected to provide an update on his status by Saturday night.
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