In the lane

OPPORTUNITY LOST: Even with the wealth of riches he has coached, Gregg Popovich still counts Heat forward Udonis Haslem as one that got away from the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs had Haslem during 2013 summer league, when he returned from a season in France after going undrafted out of Florida in 2002. Popovich said before the Heat’s Wednesday visit to the AT&T Center that logistics prevented his team from making an offer, with the Heat signing Haslem that summer, still with the team these 15 seasons later. “He was here, we had him, we loved him. There was just no room. He left and found a great home, obviously,” Popovich said. “But those stories are all over the league, where it’s just got to be the right fit. If you’re not the superstar, if you’re the guy coming in and you need some work and you need to do A, B and C, then you’re going to be a good player for a long time. And he was one of those guys.” MORE POP CULTURE: So how long did Popovich celebrate the Spurs’ 30-assist effort Wednesday against the Heat? Not so long, even with it being San Antonio’s second consecutive game with 30 or more. “That’s always wonderful, and then you sit down and you start feeling good about it and you realize Golden State does that every night,” he said. “And you go, ‘OK, we got a ways to go, don’t get too excited.’ But it’s great to see.” TEACHING POINT: Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he had no issue with the NBA suspending Shaun Livingston for one game after his reserve guard bumped heads with referee Courtney Kirkland during last Sunday’s victory over the Heat at AmericanAirlines Arena. “I thought the league handled it well,” Kerr said, with Kirkland taken off last week’s officiating schedule. “I think it was the right decision and we move on.” Kerr viewed it as a teachable moment. “I didn’t really have any questions. It seemed pretty obvious,” Kerr told the media the following night in New Orleans. “There was some contact. Both the official and player were part of it, and they were both being reprimanded. I don’t want any of my players to lose their paycheck, but that’s part of it. It’s a league rule, and as I said, I agree with the ruling.” Livingston told the Mercury News that his statement to the NBA was not intended to see Kirkland sanctioned, “It was clear it wasn’t just me. But at the same time, I wasn’t solely trying to point the finger. I was trying to look at myself and what I could’ve done better.” BAZZ BACK: Seemingly drafted as an ill-fated appeasement to LeBron James in 2014, Shabazz Napier never had much of a chance in his single-season Heat tenure. His following season with the Orlando Magic was equally nondescript. But Wednesday, when the Portland Trail Blazers arrive at AmericanAirlines Arena, the No. 24 pick in that 2014 draft will arrive as a rotation player. In an in-depth profile in the Portland Tribune, Napier said he remains thankful for the initial guidance he received from Chris Bosh with the Heat. “The best vet I ever had,” Napier told veteran NBA reporter Kerry Eggers. “He taught me so much on and off the court. He got me into reading before games, reading books that I didn’t have to read. I was a sponge around him. I’ve always wanted to learn from great players. I was fortunate to have him and Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem in Miami.”