Observations and other notes of interest from Sunday night’s 110-86 NBA playoff victory over the Atlanta Hawks:
— The Heat’s approach going forward with Kyle Lowry will be interesting.
— A hamstring strain, no matter how minor, rarely is merely a matter of days.
— And this is a team built for success beyond the first round.
— So it would seem like Tuesday’s Game 5 off, as well.
— Even though to get beyond the first round, you have to win the first round.
— Yes, Gabe Vincent filled in admirably during the regular season.
— But Kyle Lowry is a championship point guard.
— Gabe Vincent is a year removed from a two-way contract.
— Against the 76ers, Lowry would be essential.
— Especially against his hometown team.
— We could go back to the debate of having another veteran point guard on the roster.
— But that ship long had sailed.
— So, instead, spots held at the end of the standard roster by Haywood Highsmith and Udonis Haslem.
— At times, when offense became strained, it was evident how the Heat missed Lowry.
— But never sell Vincent short.
— As he again offered that lesson Sunday.
— As expected, Vincent started in place of Lowry.
— With the starting lineup rounded out by Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Max Strus and P.J. Tucker.
— The lineup featured one player drafted better than No. 30 (Adebayo, No. 14, 2017). Otherwise two undrafted (Strus, Vincent), a second-rounder (Tucker). And Butler, who went No. 30 in 2011.
— With the appearance, Butler tied Rashard Lewis for 22nd on the Heat all-time playoff list, with Adebayo’s start tying him with Jason Williams for 14th on that list.
— With the start, Butler moved past Chris Webber for 93rd on the NBA all-time playoff list and tied Andre Iguodala for 92nd.
— For their part, the Hawks not only had Clint Capela back from his hyperextended knee, but had him back in their starting lineup.
— That moved Danilo Gallinari back to Atlanta’s bench.
— So that made two Hawks Game 4 starters who did not start Game 1 (Capela, John Collins).
— The Heat’s Game 3 loss gave the Hawks time to get healthier.
— Tyler Herro and Dewayne Dedmon entered together as the Heat’s first two reserves.
— Then Caleb Martin and Duncan Robinson, making it nine deep.
— With Victor Oladipo following.
— Erik Spoelstra was not kidding about all hands on deck.
— The lone available players not to see action in the first half were Markieff Morris, Omer Yurtseven, Udonis Haslem and Haywood Highsmith.
— Butler’s second free-throw attempt moved him past Walt Frazier for 73rd on the NBA all-time playoff list.
— Butler’s third free-throw attempt moved him past Haslem for sixth place on the Heat all-time playoff list.
— Butler’s first 3-pointer tied him with Carmelo Anthony, Penny Hardaway and Hedo Turkoglu for 92nd on the NBA all-time playoff list.
— Tucker’s first 3-point attempt tied him with Hedo Turkoglu for 84th on the NBA all-time playoff list.
— Tucker’s second 3-pointer tied Antoine Walker for 66th on the NBA all-time playoff list.
— Herro’s third point moved him past Ray Allen for 14th on the Heat all-time playoff list.
— Herro’s first 3-pointer tied him with Eddie Jones for ninth on the Heat all-time playoff list.
— Butler’s fifth assist moved him past Bob Dandridge for 93rd on the NBA all-time playoff list.
— Ying Yang Twins pop-up concert during the second quarter and then 26-4 Heat run to end the first half.
— Coincidence?
— Pacers coach Nate McMillan address pregame the Heat’s volume of 3-point attempts.
— “We can control that and do a better job of contesting those shots,” he said. “They do a good job of kicking the ball to the corner, they look for that.”
— Of Trae Young meeting the moment, McMillan said, “Trae’s a smart kid. He looked at the first two games and saw what the defense was doing, how they were trying to play him and what they were giving up.”
— McMillan downplayed the notion of the Hawks stopping Adebayo over the series’ first three games.
— “With all these guys, we have to stay in front of ‘em and we have to give pressure,” he said. “They have a lot of guys that they can go through and play through over there. And sometimes the ball doesn’t find guys certain nights.”
()
