The Miami Heat took on the Philadelphia 76ers in front of an enemy crowd tonight, with the two competing for the Eastern Conference standings as the playoffs get closer. However, one moment took all the attention from the game when Heat guard Norman Powell exited the game. Here’s what happened to him.

Why Did Norman Powell Leave the Game? What Injury Did He Suffer?

During the second quarter, Powell appeared to aggravate a groin injury, labeled a right groin strain, and after halftime, he didn’t return. Soon, the team updated his status to out for the night, with guard Tyler Herro starting the second half in his place.

Powell was reported to be dealing with groin soreness on the pre-game injury report, leaving his status as ‘questionable’, but was cleared to play following a solid 26-point game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.

How Did Norman Powell Perform Before Leaving?

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Powell struggled a lot with his shot before eventually leaving the game. In about 10 minutes on the floor, he logged three points but connected on just one of his five shots, adding three rebounds and two assists, falling short of his season averages.

Powell has continued a breakout that began last season, and this year, was finally recognized for it, becoming a first-time All-Star at age 32. He’s averaging 22.9 points, 2.6 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.2 steals on solid scoring efficiency.

How Did the Miami Heat Adjust Without Powell?

With Powell having to step out early, most of the resulting minutes have gone to reserve forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. and newly benched guard Tyler Herro, who was an All-Star last year. The two have made the most of the opportunity so far.

Jaquez has logged 19 points on solid efficiency, adding on five rebounds, two assists, and two steals, whereas Herro has directly replaced Powell’s shooting from the guard spot, logging 25 points, four rebounds, and seven assists.

Most of the scoring load was carried by star Bam Adebayo, who did his best with a monstrous 29 points and 14 rebounds, even knocking down four triples in one of the best performances of the season from the franchise center.

Despite the team being down 73-57 at the half, the team managed to fight back to reduce the margin to six in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for them, the Sixers fought back hard, with the tandem of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre, and Joel Embiid all logging 19 or more points.

Tonight was a continued series of defensive lapses for the Heat, something that has clearly bothered head coach Erik Spoelstra, who directly addressed it in the post-game conference.

“That’s what’s disappointing,” he said. “We have a higher level that we can get to, that’s as high as anybody in this league, really on both sides of the floor. It’s a matter of doing it consistently… Our defense is built and versatile enough to make it disruptive against anyone.”

For now, all they can do is hope Powell’s injury isn’t too serious. His next chance to play is on Saturday against the Houston Rockets.