MIAMI – Observations and other interesting notes from Wednesday night’s 112-98 win over the Los Angeles Lakers:
– that’s exactly what LeBron James feared as he was wrapping up his time with the Heat in 2014.
– Insufficient support.
— at a time when Dwyane Wade seemed to be aging.
– When Mike Miller was fired due to the luxury tax.
— when Ray Allen and others seemed to be dying.
– when the Spurs showed that the title race was going to be unsustainable.
—No, those were certainly not the only reasons for his leaving.
— as Cleveland beckoned.
— But now, with these Lakers and Anthony Davis out, it’s pretty much back to James’ original Cleveland days.
– Wondering about LeBron’s worst supporting role.
— Still, at age 37, he’s hit both ends in his most recent back-to-back games.
– Shows dominance at times.
– In a building, his number will soon hang on the rafters along with those of Wade and Chris Bosh, the Heat’s Big Three partners.
— but besides LeBron, when it comes to the Lakers, there’s no one else.
– Even with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo back, the Heat are still incomplete.
– This time Kyle Lowry was absent for personal reasons.
– Lowry missed 13 such games last season.
— which gave Gabe Vincent the start in his second game after missing nine games with knee pain.
– Besides Butler, Bam Adebayo and Vincent, Tyler Herro and Caleb Martin are the other starters.
— Of the five starters, only Herro wasn’t on the Heat’s injury report earlier in the day.
— Butler missed the first two games with a sprained ankle.
— Adebayo is questionable with a shoulder problem, Martin is on the list with a sprained ankle and Vincent is on the list with a sore knee.
– Vincent’s first 3-pointer was the 200th regular season of his career.
– Victor Oladipo is the Heat’s first backup.
– followed by Max Strus.
— and then Duncan Robinson and Orlando Robinson in the rare double Robinson bench.
– The rotation has Haywood Highsmith out.
– Martin’s fourth defensive rebound was the 400th of his regular-season career.
— Adebayo’s eighth basket moved him past Grant Long for 11th in Heat history.
— Adebayo’s fifth free throw put him past Udonis Haslem for eighth in Heat history.
– Duncan Robinson’s second three-point attempt was his 2,000th of his career.