Victory is the ultimate pain relief for Adebayo

MIAMI — Based on the Miami Heat’s lack of ambulatory ankles, with Tyler Herro and Meyers Leonard sidelined by such injuries, center Bam Adebayo has had little choice but to play through his own ankle discomfort.

That’s what made the sweep of Friday and Saturday home games against the Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets so comforting.

“My ankles start to feel much better when we win,” he said, with the Heat having lost their previous two games, to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves. “When you lose the way we lost the last couple of games, it starts to wear on your mind. It feels good to be back in the winning column and to keep building these habits.”

Not only did Adebayo close Saturday’s victory over the Nets with his fourth consecutive double-double, with 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, but he stepped up on the game’s deciding defensive sequence to blow up the Nets’ final possession, shortcircuiting what the Nets had hoped would either be a shot by Joe Harris or drive by Spencer Dinwiddie. Instead, a Dinwiddie turnover resulted, his pass sailing into the stands, with 1.7 seconds to play and the Nets down two.

“They did a good job switching out, broke a play,” said Nets coach Kenny Atkinson, who also cited Adebayo’s hustle. “We were getting stops in the fourth quarter, but Bam kept tipping it out.”

Against a Nets defense designed to limit his playmaking, Adebayo shot 7 of 12 against the Nets, with three assists and one turnover.

“He’s a great passer and a great finisher,” Nets center Jarrett Allen said. “So when he got the ball at the top, we tried to force him into a jump shot. At the end of the day, that’s the best shot we want him to take, and we try to take his passing lanes away.”

For Adebayo, neither what was listed as a sprained right ankle or the somewhat painful blown late recent leads diminish from the dual weekend victories.

“If we win,” he said, as the Heat turned their attention to Monday’s visit to AmericanAirlines Arena by the Milwaukee Bucks, “I have no problem going through these growing pains. It’s as simple as that.

“Winning cures anything. It cures everything I’d say.”

Coming around

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the green light remains on for Derrick Jones Jr. when it comes to shooting open 3-pointers.

“That’s the difference maker, as his confidence grows,” Spoelstra said, with Jones having moved back into the starting lineup amid Leonard’s absence. “I want him shooting those with confidence. I see him putting in the work all the time.

“It’s not like he is shooting 15 of them a game. But he is gaining enough confidence that he is going to hit enough. He is trending in the right direction.”

Jones shot 2 of 6 from beyond the arc Saturday, after attempting only one 3-pointer, a miss, in his previous three appearances.

Bond grows

Butler said he was taken by the show of support by Slovenians on hand over the weekend, with Goran Dragic and the Heat taking on Luka Doncic and the Mavericks on Friday, with several media from Dragic’s native land remaining for Saturday’s game.

“I can’t wait to get over there,” Butler said of Slovenia, “to see why Goran is who Goran is.

“I love that dude to death. I’m so happy that he’s one of my teammates. We talk about soccer a lot. We talk about life a lot. Basketball really takes care of itself. That’s my guy.”

Dragic leads the Heat in fourth-quarter scoring this season with 223 points.