Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Butler backs pal Pau
Uses day off between games to jet to LA for jersey retirement
MIAMI — Amid what already is a hectic schedule for the Miami Heat, forward Jimmy Butler finds himself in the midst of a three-games-in-three-days stretch, after a crosscourt side trip on Tuesday.
In the wake of going for 26 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in Monday night’s victory over the Atlanta Hawks at Miami-Dade Arena, Butler traveled to Los Angeles to be a Crypto.com Arena for Tuesday night’s Lakers’ retirement of Pau Gasol’s jersey. Butler and Gasol spent two seasons as teammates with the Chicago Bulls.
Butler then jetted back to South Florida for Wednesday night’s game against the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers, the start of a run of three games in four nights for the Heat, who host the Cavaliers again Friday night before playing Saturday night on the road against the Orlando Magic.
Holding up a Gasol Lakers jersey, Butler was asked by the NBA’s promotional wing about the appearance.
“What’s this guy’s name? Pau?” Butler said with a smile. “I’m here because of Pau, obviously. Congrats to my brother Pau. I love you man.
“Much deserved, Hall of Fame coming soon. We all know it. Appreciate you for having me my brother.”
The Heat did not practice Tuesday, other than a developmental session for the team’s younger players.
Butler spent time with Gasol and Gasol’s family courtside during the Lakers’ victory over the Memphis Grizzlies before exiting the arena.
Butler has become used to such whirlwinds, including a visit to Argentina during the recent NBA All-Star break.
Despite being listed on recent Heat injury reports with knee pain, Butler has not missed a game since Jan. 24.
Go time
Heat players spoke at Wednesday morning’s shootaround about the need to make things happen over the final month of the regular season.
“It’s the part of the season where we have to lock in,” guard Tyler Herro said. “It’s almost every game’s a playoff game for us, and we’re treating it as such, locking in and really putting a playoff game plan together for every game.”
But Herro said the approach also had to be one at a time.
“We’ve got to continue to stack Ws,” he said, “and just stack good days, day after day, and we’ll get better.”
He said no flipping of the switch should be required.
“These types of games are playoff games, so you shouldn’t have to flip a switch for these kinds of games,” he said.
Center Bam Adebayo said what has been done has been done, in terms of losses that have put the Heat behind the cursive in the playoff race.
“At this point, you can’t dodge the season, you can’t change it,” he said. “This is endure and conquer.”
Love back
Kevin Love was upgraded at midday to probable and later to available for Wednesday night’s game against his former team, after being listed as questionable previously.
Love missed Monday night’s home victory over the Hawks due to bruised right rib, with X-rays coming back negative over the weekend.
Love joined the Heat on Feb. 20 after receiving a buyout from the Cavaliers.
Wednesday marked the first time with Love as a Cavaliers opponent since his Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the visiting Cavaliers 124-95 on Nov. 13, 2013.
Love in that game scored 33 points, with the Minnesota starting lineup that night rounded out with Ricky Rubio, Corey Brewer, Robbie Hummel and Nikola Pekovic. Among the starters for the Cavaliers that night was former Heat guard Dion Waiters.
No Morant
With the Grizzlies announcing Wednesday that All-Star Ja Morant will miss the team’s next four games in the wake of his firearm social-media incident in a Colorado club, it takes him out of next Wednesday’s visit by the Grizzlies to Miami. Morant also missed the teams’ first meeting, with Memphis nonetheless winning.