MIAMI — Observations and other notes of interest from Saturday night’s 122-120 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder:
– While Jaime Jaquez Jr. (knee) and Davion Mitchell (shoulder) again were out, the twist to the injury report was Tyler Herro being out due to a rib contusion.
– It marked the 31st absence of the season for Herro, who missed the season’s first 17 games following September ankle surgery and then 13 more with a toe contusion before returning last week.
– He has appeared in just 11 games.
– That had coach Erik Spoelstra asked before the game whether the Heat can comfortably game plan with Herro missing so much time.
– “The one at the beginning of the year, that was just something coming into the season. You can’t control that,” Spoelstra said. “But there’s going to be daily stuff that happens with everybody.”
– Spoelstra added, “This shouldn’t be long-term.”
– Of the revolving rotation door, Spoelstra said absences are part of the modern NBA equation.
– “I just see all the possibilities,” he said, “but we’ll manage it regardless, and this is the NBA right now.”
– With Herro, Mitchell and Jaquez out, the Heat opened with a lineup of Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Norman Powell, Pelle Larsson and Kasparas Jakucionis.
– Of Jakucionis earning his way in, Spoelstra said pregame, “He’s relentless with his approach and I find that super unique, how ambitious he is and how relentless he is with his work ethic.”
– “He can do some things offensively that I think it makes us a little bit more dynamic,” Spoelstra said.
– The Thunder opened with a lineup of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.
– Simone Fontecchio was first off the Heat bench.
– Dru Smith and Nikola Jovic then followed together.
– Ware was fourth off the bench.
– Shortly after entering Ware recorded both his 50th career 3-pointer and 250th career offensive rebound.
– Powell’s sixth point gave him 9,000 for his career.
– While not the optimal rotation, it did allow Adebayo to again play with aggression.
– Again paying dividends.
– And Powell also thrived in the void of Herro.
– Which will only further fuel that debate.
– All as the lack-of-Ware debate continues.
– With the minutes not only limited again for the second-year 7-footer..
– But, as the box score showed, Fontecchio, Jovic and Smith all playing ahead of him in the first half.
– And then Gardner ahead of him in the second half.
– At this point, if Ware truly can’t be played ahead of Adebayo, then the minutes can’t be there.
– With Adebayo back to maximizing his minutes.
– So, basically, if you play small against the Heat, you, at least at the moment, play Ware off the floor.
– Ware’s first minutes of the second half came with 3:42 left in the third quarter, after playing eight minutes in the first half.