IN THE LANE

THE MAX FACTOR: For all of his chiding of the Heat during the playoffs, including correctly predicting the Celtics would win the Eastern Conference finals, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green said the piling on about Max Strus’ shooting struggles was over the top, considering all Strus had contributed while playing for the league minimum of $1.7 million.“I feel bad for guys like Max Strus, who has done an incredible job of solidifying himself as an NBA player,” Green said on his podcast.“He may not quite be a starter on a conferencefinal team [in terms of pedigree], and then get judged by that? But let’s not forget this guy makes what, $2 million or something like that a year? Like, people want to judge him in comparison with the guys who are making thirty or forty million dollars. Like that guy, what he has done in his career is absolutely incredible. And I think some of the judgment that is being cast on him, due to their roster, I think is a bit unfair. And I wanted to throw that out there, because I see the slander about Max Strus.”

FIX IS IN: No less than comedian and podcaster Bill Burr, the Boston-area native and fervent Boston sports fan, questioned some of the whistles during Heat-Celtics. Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC, which is also carrying the NBA Finals, Burr offered his theory. “I also think the NBA is sort of low-key rigged,” he said.“Why does that surprise any NBA fan? I don’t know how many times you can watch a game: A team goes up by 20, right? And then all of a sudden, ticky-tack foul, ticky-tack foul, they’re in the penalty, the other team is going to the line. Their job is to get it down to about five to seven at halftime. And then an ESPN talking head then comes on and goes, ‘I’ll tell you right now, I’m really concerned about that team that used to be up 20 and is now only up by five.’“He continued,“First half of the third quarter is for the players, and then the referees assess what they need to do and make it come down to the final two minutes.” Of the Celtics advancing, Burr quipped,“We fit the script this year.”

HIS SCHEDULE: Like Heat forward Udonis Haslem, former Heat forward Andre Iguodala said any decision on retirement will come on his schedule. Iguodala, 38, is back with the Warriors and back in the NBA Finals after spending a season and a half with the Heat.“We’ll wait until we see how it ends. It can go either way with wins or losses,” Iguodala, who left the Heat in August in free agency, told NBA.com.“I know my answer. But I don’t want to put it out in the world. I don’t want to get in trouble.” Of Iguodala’s impact this season, Warriors coach Steve Kerr quipped,“He does it in a way only Andre can, with humor and sarcasm and cryptic messaging.”

ANOTHER CHANCE: Perhaps it was the influence of Heat icon Dwyane Wade as a member of the Utah Jazz ownership group, but among the 18 free agents the Jazz brought in this past week for tryouts were former Heat guard Tyler Johnson and former Heat forward Chris Silva. Johnson, 30, last played in the NBA on a 10-day contract with the San Antonio Spurs in January, amid their COVID outbreak. Silva, 25, last was in the NBA on his Heat emergency 10-day contracts in January, amid their COVID personnel shortages. Silva finished the season in the G League with the Minnesota Timberwolves affiliate.

DOUBLE DUTY: Already named the Sacramento Kings’ next coach, Mike Brown first is finishing off the playoffs as a Warriors assistant. Heat guard Gabe Vincent, who was coached by Brown on Nigeria’s Olympic team last summer, is a fan of the Kings’ move. “Absolutely,” said Vincent, who started his pro career with Sacramento’s G League affiliate.“I know that’s something that he wanted to do and was working towards. So I’m happy for him getting an opportunity there, and I wish him nothing but the best.”