IN THE LANE

AHEAD OF CURVE: Even before the lawsuit by former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores was a thing, former Heat center Chris Bosh got right to the point with his feelings in a blog post titled, “I am finished with the NFL until they start hiring more Black coaches — and keeping them around.” In the piece, Bosh wrote, “If we’re talking about equal opportunity or diversity or any other word you’d use, it doesn’t exist in the NFL unless you’re an athlete risking your life on the field.” Bosh continued, “When you see a guy like Flores — who led his team to its first consecutive winning seasons in nearly two decades — get shown the door that swiftly, do you wonder if his performance isn’t the only factor?” Bosh’s piece concludes with, “I love to see athletes give their minds, bodies, and souls on any field. But I can’t support a league where bias is as deeply ingrained as hard work — so deeply that no one seems to care.”

ROAD SHOW: It used to be Heat fans creating the commotion at what now is FTX Arena, as if anyone soon will forget Middle Finger Lady and her salute to Joakim Noah back in the day. But more recently, before the Heat departed on their current 11-day trip, it was a New York Knicks fan who drew the scrutiny of arena security . . . for anger directed at struggling Knicks forward Julius Randle. According to the New York Daily News, the fan was issued a warning after shouting toward the New York bench, “You get a $118 million contract and the fans get a thumbs down? Are you kidding me?” Later, when the fan shouted to Randle that the forward was minus-34 at the time, an ejection followed. The Heat confirmed the ejection. The Knicks’ remaining visit to FTX Arena is March 25.

TALKING POINTS: Heat guard Gabe Vincent apparently has elevated himself to an NBA talking point. After his team was victimized by four fourth-quarter 3-pointers by Indiana’s Duane Washington Jr., Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue reflected on Vincent draining six previously in a third quarter against his team .“He came in and had a Gabe Vincent moment for those guys,” Lue said of Washington. Lue also referenced Heat coach Erik Spoelstra in regards to the times Clippers guard Luke Kennard bypasses 3-point opportunities. “I learn a lot from Spo, what he did to Duncan Robinson,” Lue said. “Every time he turned down a shot, they’ll take him out of the game. So [Kennard’s] job is to shoot the basketball.”

SETTLING IN: It has taken former University of Miami guard Davon Reed a while to gain an NBA foothold, including a 2019 tryout with the Heat and then time with the Heat’s G League affiliate. But, at 26, it appears to finally be falling into place. “Every time that kid gets a chance to play, he goes out there and plays at a high level,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. Said Reed, who now is on a two-way contract, “I don’t think it should be any more question of, ‘Am I a fringe NBA guy or not?’ And just showing that I can defend multiple positions, I can make open shots and, given the opportunity, I can make plays for my team as well.”