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Observations and other notes of interest from Monday night’s 87-82 victory over the Indiana Pacers:
– It was so much simpler last season when the Heat offense was 3-pointers.
– This season, it’s what?
– Jimmy Butler or bust?
– With Monday another example of the struggle on that end.
– Which means the defense almost has to be perfect.
– That certainly was the case for extended stretches against the Pacers.
– But that also is a hard way to have go.
– And not something necessarily in the Heat’s wheelhouse this season.
– It’s as if Bam Adebayo, Butler and Tyler Herro have to be at the top of their games every single night.
– Adebayo certainly did his part in this one.
– As did Butler.
– But the Heat need more.
– Because only consistency will lead to a resurrection in the standings.
– And that’s not there at the moment.
– Everything.
– Simply.
– Is.
– Difficult.
– The game marked the 11th start of the Heat opening-night lineup of Adebayo, Caleb Martin, Butler, Herro and Kyle Lowry.
– The Heat entered 4-6 with those five starting.
– It hardly has been a study in precision.
– The only Heat starting lineup that has played more than two games together that has a winning record is the 3-1 starting five of Adebayo, Martin, Butler, Lowry and Max Strus.
– It was Lowry’s 1,050 career regular-season game.
– For their part, the Pacers shook up their starting lineup, removing Jalen Smith in favor of Aaron Nesmith.
– The other four Indiana starters were Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Andrew Nembhard and Myles Turner.
– Nembhard, the former Florida Gator, opened defensively on Butler.
– Strus entered at the Heat’s first substitution, after being held out of the second half of Saturday’s loss to the Spurs.
– That also is when Victor Oladipo entered.
– With the Pacers offering a pregame video tribute to Oladipo for his time with the team.
– Butler’s fourth rebound moved him past Michael Beasley for 21st on the Heat all-time list.
– And Butler’s sixth shot moved him past Beasley for 21st on that Heat all-time list.
– Dewayne Dedmon followed as the Heat’s third reserve.
– Dedmon’s appearance was the 500th during the regular season of his career.
– Strus’ third 3-pointer tied him with Jason Williams for 16th on the Heat all-time list.
– Heat coach Erik Spoelstra did not downplay the week ahead when he spoke ahead of Monday’s game
– “It’s an important week for us,” he said. “We’re aware of that. We have an opportunity to do something significant on the road. I think each one of our road trips has gotten better, and we’re looking to take that next step.”
– Spoelstra also went in lamenting his team’s point-of-attack defense, with opponents in recent weeks blowing past Heat defenders off the dribble.
– “Our point-of-attack containment has been poor the last couple of games, being able to contain the first dribble without it being a straight-line blow-by,” he said.
– He added, “We’re better at containing than we’ve shown.”
– Another concern for Spoelstra was muting the Pacers’ pace.
– “The last time we played up here they had 25,” he said of fastbreak points. “It felt like they had 55 in transition.”
– Orlando Robinson, on rejoining the Heat from the team’s G League affiliate, “I’m just bringing the same thing that I brought in Sioux Falls, just energy, effort and just try to find my spot and do what I can to make this team win.”
– NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was in attendance.
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