Observations and other notes of interest from Sunday ‘s 123-110 victory over the Orlando Magic:
– It was quite the juxtaposition.
– The last regular-season game in the building for Udonis Haslem.
– And the first game with the building branded as the Kaseya Center.
– Haslem looked perfectly in place.
– The branding? That could take a while to get used to.
– There will be a formal naming ceremony Monday.
– With Sunday reserved for Haslem’s moment.
– If nothing else, Haslem showed the conditioning resilience to be ready for the moment.
– Now will the building’s new name have similar lasting power?
– (It’s a Miami software company.)
– So the end for something old.
– Not that 42 is old in non-basketball years.
– And the start for something new, with the stain of FTX in the building’s rearview mirror.
– And so, for the postseason, as long as it lasts, Kaseya Center.
– Starting Tuesday night against the Atlanta Hawks.
– In the play-in tournament.
– But could there also be Haslem minutes in that postseason?
– He hasn’t shown a willingness to enter for garbage time to this point.
– With his most recent playoff appearance in 2016.
– Despite the game not having an impact on the Heat’s final standing, locked into seventh place going in, the Heat still opened with four primary starters.
– That had Bam Adebayo, Max Strus, Tyler Herro and Gabe Vincent out for the opening tip.
– Haywood Highsmith also started, with Jimmy Butler given the day off for rest.
– “The guys just wanted to play and not have all the days off,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “So it is a little bit of a balance.”
– Spoelstra added that the game would help “check the box of getting a little bit of rhythm.”
– The start with the 100th of Herro’s regular-season career.
– Because two-way players are not eligible for the postseason, it was the final appearance of the season for Heat two-way players Orlando Robinson and Jamal Cain.
– Both will be free agents in the offseason.
– The Magic held out Rookie of the Year-in-waiting Paolo Banchero, who closed with a 20-point average.
– He became the first Magic non-center to average at least 20 points since Steve Francis in 2005.
– Haslem addressed the crowd pregame.
– “You guys always had my back and showed me love,” Haslem told the crowd. “For me, that’s priceless and that’s beautiful.”
– Adebayo then presented him with a rocking chair.
– Dwyane Wade was among those present for the moment.
– Haslem entered as the game’s first substitute, with 9:05 to play in the opening period.
– Kyle Lowry followed.
– With the appearance, Lowry moved past Lenny Wilkens and Jeff Hornacek into 93rd on the NBA all-time regular-season games list.
– With Kevin Love also entering.
– And then Duncan Robinson.
– Followed by Caleb Martin and Cody Zeller.
– And then Victor Oladipo.
– Omer Yurtseven then started the second half, with Cain and Orlando Robinson following.
– Love’s fifth defensive rebound move him past Zach Randolph for 30th on the NBA all-time list.
– Lowry’s third assist was the 6,750th of his career.
()
