Markieff Morris Ruled Out for Heat vs. Lakers with Whiplash After Jokic Altercation

Miami Heat forward Markieff Morris will miss his team's road game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday because of whiplash, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

Morris left the Heat's 113-96 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday after a hard foul from reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic:

Morris initially committed a hard foul on Jokic, who responded with one of his own. A stretcher came out for Morris, but he walked off on his own power with teammates by his sides. Both players were ejected.

Morris signed with the Heat in August to mark his fifth team since February 2019 and the sixth of his career. He averaged 11.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists across his first 10 NBA seasons, and he's recorded 7.7 points and 2.8 rebounds so far during the 2021-22 campaign.

On the injury front, the 32-year-old former Phoenix Suns, Washington Wizards, Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers role player has dealt with a wide variety of mostly minor ailments over the past few years.

KZ Okpala and Caleb Martin are among the Miami reserve forwards who could see an uptick in playing time behind starter P.J. Tucker while Morris is unavailable.

The Heat have built a roster deep on talent, which helps the squad overcome any short-term injuries, but they'll hope Morris is healthy when the playoffs roll around since he can provide a two-way impact off the bench.