Winderman’s view: A win and a loss (Kevin Love), as Heat injury woes persist
MIAMI -– Observations and other notes of interest from Sunday’s 118-103 victory over the Toronto Raptors:
– Because, yes, it’s always something.
– So this time Kevin Love lost in the first half with an arm injury.
– With the Heat already without Terry Rozier and Duncan Robinson.
– And no clarity of when either of those two will return.
– Say all you want about the Heat’s depth, but that is a lot to be lacking entering the postseason.
– With all due respect to the energy of Thomas Bryant, he does not bring the spacing or rebounding that Love can deliver.
– The prime postseason difference this year might have to be Tyler Herro.
– Who was lost one game into last season’s playoffs.
– Where have you gone Max Strus and Gabe Vincent?
– If no Robinson, Love’s 3-point shooting grows more important.
– And it could again mean Nikola Jovic at backup center.
– And so like all things Heat this season . . . we wait.
– The injury report again nothing short of a Heat lifeline at this stage.
– With Rozier and Robinson again out, the Heat again opened with Bam Adebayo, Jovic, Jimmy Butler, Herro and Caleb Martin.
– Herro extended his personal-record streak of games with at least one 3-pointer to 34 games.
– With his fifth rebound, Adebayo surpassed his previous single-season high of 735 that he had in 2019-20.
– With RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, among others, sidelined for Toronto, the Raptors opened with a lineup of Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick, Kelly Olynyk, Gary Trent Jr. and Javon Freeman-Liberty.
– Jaime Jaquez Jr. was first off the Heat bench.
– Haywood Highsmith Jr. followed, when Jovic was called for his second foul with 4:29 left in the first period.
– With Love (briefly) making it eight deep.
– And then Delon Wright finishing off the primary Sunday rotation.
– Again playing ahead of Patty Mills.
– Eventually the primary rotation went 10 deep, with Bryant entering when Love went to the locker room late in the opening period
– Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said pregame he did not plan on scoreboard watching.
– “I don’t even know whether they put the other scores,” he said, with Kaseya Center lacking an out-of-town scoreboard.
– Spoelstra added, “The good thing I like about this is everybody’s playing at one o’clock. That’s the way it should be. We’ll know by the time we get out of here and into the South Florida night, we’ll know what our scenario is.”
– Of whether his team is ready for the postseason and a potential repeat of last year’s underdog run to the NBA Finals, Spoelstra said, “We’ll find out. The playoffs always let you know. We’re excited about it. You always think that we have a great opportunity in front of us.”
– The Heat ended the season 11-0 when Duncan Robinson scores 20 or more.
– Adebayo addressed the crowd pregame, saying, “”Thank you for coming out to every game and supporting us, and continue to support us.”