MIAMI — The last time the Miami Heat played on Christmas, it left the team’s players with an empty feeling.
“It was a COVID type of ordeal,” center Bam Adebayo said of the extremely limited attendance for the Dec. 25, 2020 game against the visiting New Orleans Pelicans.
The team’s previous Christmas game before that felt more like an annual occurrence, the 2015 game the seventh consecutive game on Dec. 25 for the Heat, in the wake of the Big Three era of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
“It was you almost took it for granted that we were always going to play on Christmas,” coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Monday at Kaseya Center, though, is different.
After being left out on the cold the past two years amid a run the has seen them in the Eastern Conference finals three of the past four years, the Heat again are a featured attraction, hosting Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers at 8 p.m. in front of a national-television audience.
“I always mention it to our locker room that it is an honor to have that opportunity to play on Christmas,” Spoelstra said. “The whole league doesn’t play on the holiday. And there were several years in a row where we were never even considered for playing on Christmas.”
For the Heat, winners of five of their past seven, the game comes at the right time in the right place, even with forward Jimmy Butler having missed the past two games with a calf strain. Butler is listed as questionable for Monday.
“We have enough to get wins,” Adebayo said. “That’s the biggest thing.”
For some Heat players, playing on Christmas will be a first.
“It’s always exciting to be able to play a game like that,” forward Caleb Martin said. “Every NBA player wants to be able to play on a stage like that, where everybody’s going to be watching. So I think it’ll be a pretty cool experience. First one for me.”
For Kevin Love, it practically stood as the norm while playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers alongside James.
“My first game on Christmas,” the veteran Heat backup center said, “we played here and lost.”
That was on Dec. 25, 2014, when the Heat beat the Cavaliers 101-90, with Wade scoring 31 for the Heat, James 30 for the Cavaliers.
“For me, it’s wearing a different jersey,” Love said of Monday’s return to Christmas competition. “It’s playing here, and trying to get a win against a team we haven’t played on Christmas before, that is playing at an extremely high level, especially with what Embiid is doing.
“I think it’s a big matchup for us. They’re ahead of us in the standings.”
Challenge presented; challenge accepted.
“We’re excited for it,” guard Duncan Robinson said. “They’re playing really well right now. It’ll be a great challenge. Yeah, we’re excited to play here, just get out there and compete.”
While the NFL has elbowed into the NBA’s Christmas turf, it is the legacy of the NBA on Christmas Day, players say, that keeps the moment special.
“Ultimately, I think just having the experience, when other people play on that day, with other people watching, don’t take that for granted,” Martin said, “because not everybody gets to experience that.”
Spoelstra structured the Heat schedule with an early practice Sunday in order to allow ample family time on Christmas Eve, as well as bypassing a game-day shootaround in order to allow for Christmas morning at home.
“It’s a special day and a special opportunity to compete, do what we love on a great holiday,” Spoelstra said. “We get the morning, we get Christmas eve — these are a bunch of wins. But we’ve just got to make sure we get the win.”
An opportunity appreciated.
“Definitely being at home, it’s nice to be at home, having your morning,” said Love, whose first child, a daughter, was born during last season’s NBA Finals. “I personally would like to play earlier in the day. You’re kind of sitting around all day waiting and then you have to report early with no shootaround. But it’s just the way it shakes out sometimes.
“Listen, again, at the end of the day I’m grateful we’re playing on a day we’re going to play one of the prime-time games on Christmas.”
So, yes, a challenge for Adebayo against Embiid. But a showcase moment for that challenge.
“Man, definitely a privilege,” Adebayo said. “Definitely, I’m going to enjoy the moment.”
Injury report
In addition to Butler being listed as questionable with his calf strain, forward Haywood Highsmith is questionable for Monday with a cold and guard Josh Richardson is probable with back spasms. Guard Dru Smith remains out with his season-ending knee injury,.
Miami Heat matchups on Christmas
1997 at Chicago, L 90-80
2004 at L.A. Lakers, W 104-102 (OT)
2005 vs. L.A. Lakers, W 97-92
2006 vs. L.A. Lakers, W 101-85
2007 at Cleveland, L 96-82
2009 at New York, W 93-87
2010 at L.A. Lakers, W 96-80
2011 at Dallas, W 105-94
2012 vs. Oklahoma City, W 103-97
2013 at L.A. Lakers, W 101-95
2014 vs. Cleveland, W 101-91
2015 vs. New Orleans, W 94-88
2020 vs. New Orleans, W 111-98
Heat Christmas records
Points
40 — Dwyane Wade (vs. Los Angeles Lakers in 2006)
Rebounds
17 — Hassan Whiteside (vs. New Orleans in 2015)
17 — Shaquille O’Neal (vs. Los Angeles Lakers in 2005)
Assists
11 — Dwyane Wade (vs. Los Angeles Lakers in 2006)
11 — Tim Hardaway (at Chicago in 1997)