Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Heat guard Dion Waiters is back in South Florida with his new daughter.
HEAT 104, CLIPPERS 101
Dion Waiters was away from the Miami Heat for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center for the birth of his daughter.
Waiters remained overnight in Denver after Friday’s loss to the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center and then returned Saturday to South Florida.
He posted a photo Sunday on his Instagram feed holding the hand of his newborn daughter, Dior Raina Waiters, with the caption, “Welcome to this crazy world baby girl.”
Coach Erik Spoelstra said the specifics of missing the game against the Clippers was planned in advance.
“The last week, 10 days, yeah, this was the target date,” he said. “I hope everything goes well and we’ll be able to celebrate with Dion and his family and go from there.”
Spoelstra said Waiters is expected back on this six-game trip, which continues Monday against the Golden State Warriors, with stops to follow against the Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons.
Waiters is on a tight schedule this season because of a $1.1 million bonus if he appears in at least 70 games, with Sunday his first absence. He would not receive the bonus if he misses 12 or more games this season, which could expedite his timetable.
Spoelstra would not commit to a specific return date.
“We’ll find out,” he said. “Let’s cross that bridge when we get there.”
Justise Winslow moved into the starting lineup in place of Waiters, giving the Heat their fifth lineup in the season’s first nine games. The other four starters were Hassan Whiteside, Okaro White, Josh Richardson and Goran Dragic.
With Waiters not available, the Heat recalled undrafted rookie guard Derrick Walton Jr. from their developmental-league affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. It was the first day on the NBA clock for Walton, who is on a two-way contract, limited to 45 totals days this season in the NBA.
The Clippers were caught off guard by the Waiters news.
“I went through 30 minutes scouting,” Clippers guard Lou Williams said in the locker room an hour prior to tipoff.
Minor reversal
The Heat’s developmental-league affiliate got off to a rousing start to their G League season Saturday night, rallying from an 18-point thirdquarter deficit to a 120-116 road victory over the Memphis Hustle.
The irony for the Heat is that it was a Nuggets prospect, two-way wing
Torrey Craig, who helped spark the victory, with 24 points, six rebounds, six assists and five steals. Craig is on loan to the Skyforce, with the Nuggets lacking a G League affiliate.
Forward Erik McCree, who spent training camp with the Heat before moving on to the Skyforce as an affiliate player (free to be signed by an NBA team), led Sioux Falls with 29 points. Heat two-way prospect Matt
Williams Jr., the undrafted guard out of Central Florida, struggled in his start at shooting guard, shooting 2 of 8 and closing at minus-28. Heat center A.J. Hammons, on assignment to Sioux Falls, started at center and closed with six rebounds and five points.
Grizzlies draft choice Ivan Rabb led Memphis with 18 points and 15 rebounds.
The Skyforce play their home opener Monday against the Lakeland Magic, with that game to be nationally televised on ESPNU.
Holding court
As he is wont to do, Clippers coach Doc Rivers held court before Sunday’s game. Of the versatility of Heat forward
James Johnson, he said, “He’s one of those guys who no one knows unless you are a player on another team.”
Rivers called former Heat draft acquisition Patrick Beverley “an instigator.” Rivers said he meant that in a good way of the pesky point guard obtained in the Chris Paul trade. Rivers said Red Auerbach, while Rivers was coaching in Boston, told him, “You can never have enough instigators on your basketball team.”
Then there was Rivers on the NBA’s proliferation of 3-point attempts, “I think you should take threes if you can make threes.”