Observations and other notes of interest from Wednesday night’s 112-98 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers:
– This is sort of what LeBron James feared as his days neared an end with the Heat in 2014.
– Not enough in support.
– At a time when it appeared Dwyane Wade was aging.
– When Mike Miller had been let go due to the luxury tax.
– When Ray Allen and others were seemingly on last legs.
– And when the Spurs made it apparent championship contention would be difficult to sustain.
– No, those of course were not the only reasons he left.
– As Cleveland beckoned.
– But now, with these Lakers, with Anthony Davis out, it’s almost back to James’ initial Cleveland days.
– Wondering about LeBron’s worst supporting casts.
– Still, at 37, he played both ends of this latest back-to-back.
– Showing the ability to dominate at times.
– In a building where his number soon will hang from the rafters alongside those of Big Three Heat partners Wade and Chris Bosh.
– But other than LeBron, when it comes to the Lakers, there isn’t any other there there.
– Even with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo back, the Heat remained less than whole.
– This time Kyle Lowry was out due to personal reasons.
– Lowry missed 13 such games last season.
– That had Gabe Vincent starting in his second game back after missing nine games as he dealt with knee pain.
– In addition to Butler, Adebayo and Vincent, Tyler Herro and Caleb Martin were the other starters.
– Of the five starters, only Herro wasn’t on the Heat injury report earlier in the day.
– Butler had missed the previous two games with an ankle sprain.
– Adebayo was questionable with a shoulder issue, with Martin listed with an ankle sprain and Vincent with his knee soreness.
– Vincent’s first 3-pointer was the 200th of his regular-season career.
– Victor Oladipo played as the Heat’s first reserve.
– With Max Strus following.
– And then Duncan Robinson and Orlando Robinson in the rare dual-Robinson substitution.
– The rotation had Haywood Highsmith shuffled out of the mix.
– Martin’s fourth defensive rebound was the 400th of his regular-season career.
– Adebayo’s eighth basket moved him past Grant Long for 11th on the Heat all-time list.
– Adebayo’s fifth free-throw attempt moved him past Udonis Haslem for eighth on the Heat all-time list.
– Duncan Robinson’s second 3-point attempt was the 2,000th of his career.
()
