Miami Heat's Dewayne Dedmon (21) looks to shoot against Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash) (Aaron Gash, AP)
Observations and other notes of interest from Saturday night’s 123-115 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks:
– This was a moment to take stock of the Heat without Kyle Lowry.
– This time due to injury.
– Next time due to trade?
– The reality is the alternative.
– Saturday that alternative was Gabe Vincent.
– And it left the Heat at a deficit.
– Yes, Vincent has proven up to such moments, as he was during last season’s playoffs.
– But that was last season.
– When Vincent appeared to be in a better place.
– Not battling an ongoing ankle issue.
– This time, 1 of 7 from the field through three quarters.
– And another question of whether the Heat could afford to play their starting point guard in the fourth quarter.
– So, no, dealing Lowry would not be addition by subtraction.
– It looks more and more as if the Heat need addition by addition at point guard.
– With Lowry out due to ongoing knee pain, Vincent stepped into the starting lineup for the sixth time this season.
– Vincent had been questionable earlier due to ankle inflammation.
– The starting lineup was rounded out by Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Caleb Martin.
– That lineup entered 1-1 this season.
– The Heat also entered 4-1 with Vincent starting.
– The Heat bench also was depleted with Victor Oladipo missing a second consecutive game with an ankle sprain.
– The Heat had nine available players.
– Also out were Orlando Robinson (thumb), Duncan Robinson (finger), Omer Yurtseven (ankle), Nikola Jovic (back) and Jamal Cain (G League, dental recovery).
– The Bulls opened with Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez.
– That had Khris Middleton continuing to work his way back off the bench.
– Dewayne Dedmon returned from the deep freeze after being held out of the previous 10 games following his one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team.
– Haywood Highsmith and Max Strus also were among the Heat’s first substitutions.
– That left Udonis Haslem as the lone available Heat player not to see action.
– Herro’s first assist was the 750th of his career.
– Strus’ first 3-pointer tied LeBron James for 14th on the Heat all-time list.
– Heat coach Erik Spoelstra went in with all due respect for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who missed the teams’ first two games.
– “The most impressive thing about Giannis is his ability, the way he brings energy,” Spoelstra said. “Everybody basically has the same game plan: Try to build a wall. You try to stay in front of him. You try to make him get off the ball. It’s not like there’s new game plans to this. And he’s still finding a way to score.”
– Spoelstra added, “And then I just happen to notice their box scores. Even without talking about him, it’s 150, 145, 130. A low game of 124. So what you’re seeing is a team, even though [Khris] Middleton has been playing his low minutes, they have their core group back.”
– Spoelstra, pregame, on having to dig deep into the bench for 42-year-old captain Udonis Haslem, “He’s going to always be ready so he doesn’t have to get ready, right? If there’s one thing that he preaches to our guys, all the time, that’s it. He keeps himself mentally engaged.”
– Spoelstra added, “He’s sharp and he has that competitive will and spirit that you just cannot put an analytic to. He knows how to win. He knows how to impact his minutes.”
– Asked pregame about local product Herro, Spoelstra said, “He’s come a long way with his defense. He gets a lot of reps at it, because every team basically tries to go at him. He’s a tough guy, so he takes on those challenges.”
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Originally published at Tribune News Service