With Butler back, team looking to right ship and fix ‘bad’ habits

The Miami Heat’s excitement was palpable after ending their five-game losing skid with a victory over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.

“The Heat,” Tyler Herro said, “is back on.”

Back to the top of the Eastern Conference standings and contending for the NBA Finals like they were last season? Not quite yet.

But getting back in the win column for the first time in over a week and having their All-Star forward in Jimmy Butler back on the floor after a 10-game absence due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols has given the Heat optimism that better days are ahead.

“It’s a start,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We just have to continue to forge ahead.

“Our spirit has been lifted. It feels different than it did two weeks ago.”

Butler’s return to game action showed how much the team missed him, with Miami going 2-8 during the 10-game stretch he missed.

He had 30 points, eight assists and seven rebounds on 8-of-19 shooting from the field and was 14 of 16 on his free throws in the Heat’s first win since Jan. 20 against the Toronto Raptors.

“You’re missing another All-Star in our offense and defense,” Adebayo responded when asked if Butler’s ability to get to the rim was what the Heat missed most, “that explains it right there.”

Butler made it clear he missed his teammates, too.

“I just want to compete,” he said. “That’s it. I want to be with my guys. We’re in this thing together. I realize, I think I’m a decent player and I give us maybe a little bit better of a chance to win. I respect them for how hard they play and how they never give up. I’m just glad that I can be back. I’m glad that I can help and be around my dudes.”

Butler, who didn’t disclose whether he tested positive for COVID-19 and was cleared from the league’s protocols early last week, credited trainers James Scott, Stanley Remy and Armando Rivas for helping him be ready to play again after not being with the team for two weeks and not playing for nearly three.

“I got a good group that really helped me focus in on what I needed to be doing,” said Butler, who played 34 minutes Saturday. “I felt like I was ready to go.”

Now that he’s back in the team’s rotation, Butler sees plenty of areas the Heat need to improve in.

“We got a lot better to get if we want to talk about winning the championship,” he said. “Right now, our habits are just really bad. When we tell each other face-toface we can be better and hold each other accountable, it’s a step in the right direction.”

And with the opportunity to establish a level of continuity for the first time since the beginning of January, the Heat are confident they’ll continue taking those positive steps.

“The sun finally came out,” Adebayo said ahead of Monday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets. “Like I always said, we were going to figure it out. Right now we are 1-0 and we are going to ride with that.”

Too close of a call

The NBA said the Heat’s win over the Kings most likely shouldn’t have come down to

Sacramento’s final possession.

In the league’s last two minute report, the NBA stated that Duncan Robinson was fouled on his 3-point attempt by De’Aaron Fox with 6.2 seconds left in the game. If the foul was called, Robinson would’ve gone to the throw line for three free-throw attempts with the Heat leading, 105-104.

Instead, the Heat were called for a 24-second violation, giving Richaun Holmes the opportunity to make a game-winner before Adebayo blocked his shot at the buzzer to give the Heat the win.

“It’s more gratifying getting a win like that,” Adebayo said. “Not saying we always want to win by one, but when you get the ones where you do win by one or two, I feel like it’s more gratifying because both teams are right there and you’re the team that had the outcome.”