Los Angeles Lakers guard Kendrick Nunn, right, shoots as Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, left, defends along with guard Gabe Vincent during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) (Mark J. Terrill / AP, Mark J. Terrill / AP)
Observations and other notes of interest from Wednesday night’s 112-109 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers:
– At the end of the third period, the ledger stood with Russell Westbrook with 17 points off the Lakers’ bench, the entire Heat bench with 12.
– And, no, it’s not a case of the Heat bench lacking because Duncan Robinson is now out following finger surgery.
– It’s because consistency has been lacking.
– This time there were numbers from Victor Oladipo.
– But not much elsewhere in support.
– That, at times, has Oladipo attempting to force the issue.
– Such as 3-pointers launched early in the shot clock.
– The up and down continues with Max Strus.
– Who arguably is needed more now with Robinson out.
– Gabe Vincent has yet to regain his footing after missing time with his knee issue.
– And Haywood Highsmith this time was dealt out.
– Against the Lakers, such can be survived.
– But with the starting lineup finally back pieced together, the next piece is a consistent bench unit.
– Perhaps getting Dewayne Dedmon back is a start.
– But more still is needed.
– For the first time since Dec. 10-12, the Heat opened with the same lineup as the previous game, with their preferred first five of Bam Adebayo, Caleb Martin, Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro.
– The Heat entered 6-7 with that starting lineup.
– The start was Martin’s 50th in his regular-season career.
– With his start, Lowry tied Chris Mullin for 95th on the NBA all-time list.
– The game was Adebayo’s 51st in a row scoring in double figures, four games from matching the longest such streak of his career, set in 2020-21.
– Butler’s ninth point moved him past Shaquille O’Neal for 17th on the Heat all-time scoring list.
– Lowry’s first 3-pointer extended his streak with at least one to 33 games, one shy of his career high, set in 2015-16 with the Raptors.
– Herro’s first 3-pointer was the 500th of his regular-season career.
– The Lakers, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis sidelined, opened with the eclectic starting lineup of Dennis Schröder, Patrick Beverley, Austin Reaves and Juan Toscano-Anderson.
– That kept Russell Westbrook in the Lakers’ preferred reserve role.
– Westbrook entered with 6:54 to play in the first period, as the game’s initial sub.
– Martin took that initial assignment.
– Oladipo played as the Heat’s first reserve.
– Oladipo’s first made shot was the 3,000th of his career.
– Dedmon again was active.
– But Orlando Robinson played as the Heat first reserve big man.
– That did not go well.
– Strus then entered as the Heat’s third reserve.
– With Vincent making it nine deep for the Heat.
– Dedmon then playing as10th man.
– Heat forward Jamal Cain was inactive, saving the count of NBA days on his two-way contract.
– Former Heat guard Kendrick Nunn played as the fourth reserve for the Lakers.
– He reached 2,000 career points in the third quarter.
– The game was one of 17 on a Wednesday for the Heat this season, their busiest day of the schedule.
– The Heat went in seeking to sweep the two-game series from both Los Angeles teams since 2013-14, when they swept the Lakers and Clippers. The only other time the Heat did it was in 1992-93.
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Originally published at Tribune News Service