Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Heat’s Robinson rolls with rumors
Leonard doubtful; 76ers likely to be bolstered by Harris, others
The manpower challenge figures to only grow for the Miami Heat in Thursday’s 7 p.m. rematch against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center.
For the Heat, pandemic protocols still will leave them without Bam Adebayo, Avery Bradley, Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic, Maurice Harkless, Udonis Haslem, KZ Okpala and Kendrick Nunn, with all eight back in South Florida.
In addition, center Meyers Leonard, who was injured in Saturday’s victory over the Washington Wizards at the start of this trip, is listed as doubtful with his strained left shoulder.
Kelly Olynyk (groin) is off the Heat’s injury report, with Gabe Vincent listed as probable with his sore right knee. Both played in Tuesday’s 137-134 overtime loss.
It should again leave the Heat with eight players, the minimum allowed by the NBA: Olynyk, Vincent,
Precious Achiuwa, Tyler Herro, Andre Iguodala, Duncan Robinson, Chris Silva and Max Strus.
“Obviously, it’s a great challenge,” Robinson said. “It’s a great opportunity, also, particularly for these guys who haven’t had as much opportunity to go out there and just play free, not be looking over their shoulders for a sub, because you need ’em.
“If you were have to go through a full season like
this, that would be a real challenge, obviously.”
The 76ers, by contrast, are listing as probable rotation players Tobias Harris, Shake Milton and Matisse Thybulle, who all missed Tuesday’s game due to protocols.
Seth Curry (protocols) and Furkan Korkmaz (abductor) remain out for Philadelphia.
Joel Embiid (back tightness) and Ben Simmons (knee swelling) are both listed as probable after playing Tuesday night.
The Heat got out of their hotel for a Wednesday video session at the 76ers’ Camden, N.J., practice facility.
“We haven’t been able to have one like that in a while,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, “so I think it was a perfect opportunity for that, today, just to teach. And also an opportunity for us to get out of the hotel, see the sun a little bit, and get into the gym. But we didn’t do any court work.”
[subhead]Late miss[/ subhead]
Robinson said it was his decision to intentionally miss a free throw with 5.4 seconds left in overtime Tuesday and the Heat down two. The shot failed to touch the rim, giving the 76ers possession with 3.6 seconds left, when the Heat were out of timeouts.
“I was trying to ‘quick’ it,” Robinson explained. “Usually I’m pretty good at it. I’ve practiced it before. Just throw it right off the front rim, have it come right back to me. I just rushed it, like a tiny bit. It sucks.
“I was kind of caught in between if I wanted to make it or not and I decided in my mind to miss, just because I thought I could make the play and do that, and obviously I didn’t execute it.”
The approach came as somewhat of a surprise to
Spoelstra.
“It was funny, because we talked that,” Spoelstra said, noting it was reviewed in the team’s Wednesday video session. “We’ll get more organized with that.
“That’s close to where you potentially would do it. But you would want to be a little bit more organized with it. We’ll be better as we go forward.”
Said Robinson,” If I could do it over again, I would probably at least consult him.”
[subhead] Contra sting view[/subhead]
While Spoelstra was unable to challenge what appeared to be both a palming violation and travel by Embiid late in regulation Tuesday, he did challenge the foul on Olynyk on that play, which was upheld upon video review by the referees on site.
But when it came to Wednesday’s NBA officiating report, there was no mention of a missed call against Embiid on that play, only, “Replay review of the foul pursuant to a coach’s challenge is deemed unsuccessful. Olynyk (MIA) is not in a legal guarding position and is moving laterally into Embiid’s (PHI) path.”
Spoelstra said Wednesday on the other potential violations not being addressed, “I would like more clarification on that. That’s why I burned a timeout for that.
“I saw the ball go out of bounds first. I saw a travel. And I saw an offensive foul. And then I used my challenge, and yet they still ended up with the ball.
“To me, it all felt like it was the same move. They interpreted different.”
The only officiating error cited by the NBA in the final two minutes of regulation or overtime was a rebounding foul that the league said should have been called on Achiuwa in the final minute of overtime.