Heat get reinvigorated Lowry before playoffs; Love taking charge(s); Butler, Adebayo out vs. Wizards

The goal after a month off due to knee pain and then a return 10 games ago was to be here, with a better Kyle Lowry, a productive Lowry, something close to the player the veteran point guard was at both the start of this season and the start of his Heat tenure at the beginning of 2021-22.

For the Miami Heat, it is an ongoing process, but one moving toward mission accomplished at the most important stage of the season.

“I could not feel better about it than when we started the process, and we knew we were going to have to shut him down,” coach Erik Spoelstra said of the 37-year-old former All-Star being out from Feb. 4 through March 10 due to knee pain and then returning March 11.

“There’s an unknown with that, and you know the clock is ticking against you. But he handled those five weeks really well, behind the scenes, and I think our communication between myself, Kyle, the training staff and our medical staff was as good as it’s ever been, which really helps when you don’t have all the time.”

Part of the process has been holding Lowry out of one game in each of the back-to-back sets since his return. So after Lowry closed Thursday night’s 129-101 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center with 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds in 22:08, he was given Friday night’s game off against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena.

“It’s part of the plan, honestly, it’s part of the plan,” Lowry said, with Friday closing the Heat’s final back-to-back ahead of Sunday’s home season finale against the visiting Orlando Magic and no back-to-backs during the postseason. “And it’s been the plan since I’ve come back. And then we go from there.”

Since his return, Lowry is averaging 8.7 points on .474 shooting from the field and .436 shooting on 3-pointers, with 4.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds in an average of 24.4 minutes per game, while playing solely as a reserve. Over that span, the Heat are outscoring the opposition by 6.6 points while Lowry has been on the court.

“He’s in a great place physically right now,” Spoelstra said. “So his plus-minus, on-and-off while he’s been back has been outstanding. The most important thing is he responds, his body responds really well the next day.

“What that’ll mean down the line, whether he’ll be able to play significantly more minutes, who knows? But I don’t care. This is a great victory right now, the fact that he’s healthy, playing great, and he’s moving the needle on the scoreboard.”

Lowry said what mattered was the work done while away that allowed him to reach this point.

“I wouldn’t say a month off,” he said. “It was a month of getting back, getting healthy. But I think it’s just been a part of the plan, that [having] everyone on the same page was big.

“And of course, I wish I was healthier. But at this time of the year, it doesn’t matter. I think for me, and I said, when I told Coach when I’m coming back, whatever it takes to help our team win, and I’m going to do it. And that’s what it’s been.”

Taking charge

There was a point during the victory in Philadelphia that Kevin Love had a smile on his face even before the officials signaled that he had, indeed, drawn another charge.

For the veteran big man, it has become such a pattern since his acquisition at the buyout deadline that he leads the Heat in charges drawn for the season, despite not arriving until Feb. 20.

Against the 76ers there were four more charges drawn by Love, who is second in the league in that category, when counting those he also drew while with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Entering Friday, Love stood with 33 charges taken this season, behind only the 43 of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Jaylin Williams.

“He has a knack for that,” Spoelstra said. “He understands that that’s important for us. And that’s what he does.

“You have to have the courage to do it. But you also have to have the IQ defensively. You have to see plays develop before they happen.”

Love said he was feeling it after the game.

“Just giving up my body for the team,” he said. “I talk about doing the little things that don’t necessarily show up in the stat sheet.”

Heat Lite

With the odds against the Heat moving up in the seeding in their final two games, the team announced at midday that in addition to Lowry, Jimmy Butler (hand bruise) and Bam Adebayo (quadriceps stain) also were being held out against the Wizards.

For their part, amid their chase for lottery position, the Wizards previously announced that their entire starting lineup would be out, meaning no Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle Kuzma, Deni Avdija or Monte Morris.

In addition, the Heat listed Tyler Herro (quad), Love (rib) and Max Strus (finger) as questionable.

()