MIAMI — Observations and other notes of interest from Saturday night’s 114-109 loss to the Chicago Bulls:
– No, one night does not change an outlook on the season.
– So this didn’t.
– It only magnified a reality.
– This Miami Heat roster, as constructed, is a middling team.
– There comes a point where you are what your record says you are.
– And what your blown leads say you are.
– This was not a shorthanded roster.
– Health largely restored.
– This is a team that can’t get out of its own way with a game on the line.
– Losing in overtime to the Knicks is one thing.
– Fighting to the finish in Cleveland another.
– Even a home loss to the Timberwolves can be excused.
– But to these Bulls?
– These shorthanded Bulls?
– The Bulls seemingly have been locked into the play-in round for weeks.
– Now, almost assuredly with the company of the Heat in that bracket.
– Simply not good enough for another level.
– And if the slide continues, with the Heat at No. 9 or No. 10, are they capable of the two wins needed to advance to the playoffs?
– Can they beat the Bulls in the play-in?
– Or the Hawks?
– As in two teams that recently have topped Erik Spoelstra’s team.
– For that matter, can anything be assumed against the Magic?
– For all the conjecture about the Heat not having a chance in the playoffs against the Cavaliers or Celtics, can they even compete in the play-in?
– The low point of the season?
– Welcome to it.
– With Andrew Wiggins back from his ankle sprain and Kel’el Ware back from his knee sprain, the Heat got back to their preferred post-trade lineup of Ware, Wiggins, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Davion Mitchell. That lineup is now 2-4.
– Saturday was the 200th career regular-season start for Herro.
– Haywood Highsmith and Duncan Robinson entered together first off the Heat bench.
– Terry Rozier remained in the rotation, entering third off the bench.
– Followed by Jaime Jaquez Jr.
– That had Kyle Anderson and Pelle Larsson out of the primary mix.
– With Alec Burks again out with lower-back pain.
– Before the game, Spoelstra addressed the NBA’s $50,000 fine to Adebayo for a referee interaction with official Kevin Cutler after Friday night’s loss to the Timberwolves.
– “And then what can we do? Can we appeal? I don’t know,” Spoelstra said. “I don’t think he was out of control. Bam has a great reputation, very respectful. He was trying to get Kevin’s attention and, you know, I think he was trying to make his case.”
– Spoelstra then offered a shrugging aside motion.
– “I think Kevin kind of ignited it, like this,” he said. “That was unnecessary. Bam was not being aggressive. That was more of an aggressive response to Bam trying to have a discussion. But, look, you’re not winning that with the league, so we have to move on.”
– Spoelstra also was asked pregame about Mitchell’s solid assist-to-turnover ratio in recent games.
– “He’s getting more comfortable making those miscellaneous plays for us, which are important,” Spoelstra said. “Davion is a solid decision-maker. And he gets into the paint. And we want to encourage him to work for a handful more of those. His intentions are pure. He wants to get guys the ball. He wants to set up the main guys.”
– Spoelstra added, “So if we can find more ways to help him to get into the paint I think that would be a good thing for us.”
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