Heat star Bam Adebayo needs surgery on injured thumb, out indefinitely

A day after he was listed as questionable with a thumb sprain, Bam Adebayo's injury has shown to be more significant.

The Miami Heat announced on Wednesday that Adebayo needs surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb. The team plans to announce a timetable for his return after his surgery, which is scheduled for this weekend. Adebayo sustained the injury during Monday's loss to the Denver Nuggets.

In 18 games this season, Adebayo has averaged 18.7 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, both matching career highs. He's also shooting 51.9% from the field while tallying 3.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.3 blocks per game.

The Heat are off to a 13-8 start, good for third place in the Eastern Conference as they seek to return to contention a season removed from a first-round playoff sweep by the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks. The loss of Adebayo will be a significant blow on both sides of the court as Miami seeks to maintain positioning in a competitive Eastern Conference with 11 teams posting winning records through the first quarter of the season.