MIAMI – Bam Adebayo isn’t injured, or at least not ailing enough to be kept out of action. But because it now looks as if something might be wrong, the sixth-year Miami Heat center landed on the NBA injury report ahead of Monday night’s game against the New York Knicks.

Once an element of protective gear is added to the equation, it often leads to further NBA inspection. It is why Heat backup center Cody Zeller has been on the injury report due to a nasal fracture, even though it has healed, because the presence of his facemask requires such a listing.

In the case with Adebayo, by moving into a compression shirt due to discomfort in his right shoulder, the league mandated he be on the injured list for Game 4 of this best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series.

So ahead of Monday night’s game, Adebayo was listed as available, with no doubt regarding his status for the game at Kaseya Center, as has been the case with Zeller on the injury reports.

For Adebayo, it wasn’t a matter of an excuse, after a solid effort in the Heat’s Game 3 victory, following an uneven Game 2. But he also said he tends to tune out criticism, regardless.

“I don’t listen to the criticism. They’re not in my shoes,” he said Monday morning of the inspection that tends to increase at this time of the season. “The only people’s criticism that I care about is the 15 [players] and coaches and staff. That’s  it. Everybody else, I’m not on social media.

“I watch the games, but I watch them on mute, so I don’t have to hear all the commentary. It just is what it is. That’s part of it. But for me, man, just having as much clarity as possible going into those games is I feel like the best thing we can all have.”

Adebayo said because he is asked to do so much on both ends, it naturally creates more avenues for inspection.

“That’s why I took a lot of blame,” he said, “because I have so many more responsibilities trying to figure out how I can impact winning, bottom line. That’s the biggest thing.”

By his side

Having played alongside scrappy twins Caleb and Cody Martin while with the Charlotte Hornets, Zeller said Monday he was not surprised to see Heat forward Caleb Martin having his back during Saturday’s Game 3 scuffle against the Knicks.

No sooner was Zeller caught in the middle of the action with Knicks forward Julius Randle then Martin moved into the melee. Zeller, Martin and Knicks backup center Isaiah Hartenstein each received a technical foul.

“It’s funny,” Zeller said following the morning shootaround. “I have been with the Martin twins in Charlotte, and Caleb’s in all of the scuffles, either one of them, Caleb or Cody.”

The two talked it over after Saturday’s game.

“We have lockers right not to each other, so once I got back in the locker room, I appreciated Caleb having my back,” Zeller said. “I said if I’m going to get in a fight, it’s going to be with Caleb within arm’s reach. He’s going to be in the foxhole with me.”

Awards season

Having been shut out for the NBA’s primary individual awards, the Heat could have their moments this week.

The NBA’s All-Defensive teams will be announced Tuesday, with Adebayo and Jimmy Butler both with cases for such designation in the media balloting completed before the start of the postseason.

All-NBA teams will be announced Wednesday, with Butler almost assuredly to be announced as a member of one of the three units.

And Thursday, the NBA will announce the winner of the 2023 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, with retiring 42-year-old Heat captain Udonis Haslem among the finalists.