MIAMI — Observations and other notes of interest from Monday night’s 115-113 victory over the New York Knicks:

– In the Heat’s pantheon of pests, Pelle Larsson is making a name for himself.

– He was at it again Monday night.

– Whether it was fronting Karl-Anthony Towns in the post.

– Or getting into passing lanes.

– While also showing enough with his 3-point shooting to create needed spacing.

– So when Tyler Herro returns, is it a given of Larsson to the bench?

– And that’s not even getting into the shorter term when Bam Adebayo returns.

– Considering Jaime Jaquez Jr. has emerged as the energy of the Heat’s second unit, it will be interesting to see where Larsson fits in the rotation once the rotation is whole.

– But what Larsson showed Monday night against the Knicks and what he continues to show is that he belongs.

– Another solid developmental hit for the Heat.

– Now with similar issues of how to keep Dru Smith in the rotation, as well.

– Because he also kept the Heat afloat.

– With Adebayo missing a sixth consecutive game with his toe sprain, the Heat for the sixth consecutive game opened with Larsson, Kel’el Ware, Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and Norman Powell.

– Larsson’s 11 starts now are three more than he had as a rookie last season.

– Inactive again for the Heat were Adebayo, Herro (ankle), Rozier (not with team), Kasparas Jakucionis (G League) and Myron Gardner (G League).

– In the absences of sidelined Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby, the Knicks opened with a lineup of Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet and Miles McBride.

– The Heat scored first for just the sixth time this season. The Knicks then scored the next seven points.

– Jaquez again was first off the Heat bench.

– Then Nikola Jovic and Simone Fontecchio.

– With Smith making it the usual nine deep.

– And a need for 10 deep with Keshad Johnson when Jovic got into early foul trouble.

– Going in, of recent Heat talking points, coach Erik Spoelstra said, “The other stuff, we’re going to get better. This is a very dedicated group. Love the approach. I think we’ll get better as the season goes on.”

– Asked pregame about Brunson, Spoelstra prefaced his comments with a smile.

– “What I can say about Jalen is I really enjoyed my time working with him during the World Cup,” said Spoelstra, who was a Team USA assistant at that 2023 event in the Philippines. “And I’ve mentioned it to him and I’ve mentioned it to other people, I just really dislike myself, and I can’t look at myself in the mirror, for how much I grew to like him.”

– Spoelstra added, “I told him that my sons are Jalen Brunson fans, but I told them it’s not allowed in my household.”

– Asked about this season’s uneven ride for Ware, Spoelstra said pregame, “Kel’el’s been stacking up good days. It doesn’t mean it’s going to guarantee like you play well. But I’m encouraged. My experience says you keep on stacking up those days, eventually there’s a breakthrough.”

– Of sending first-round pick Kasparas Jakucionis to the G League for seasoning, Spoelstra said, “The most important thing right now is he just needs to play. It’s not even necessarily about evaluating him right now. He had some good weeks during the summer, and then it was just unfortunate the injury.”

– Jakucionis sustained a groin injury during the preseason.

– Spoelstra added, “He even asked me, ‘What do I need to work on?’ I said, ‘Don’t stress out about that right now. It’s about getting out there and playing. And then we’ll take that next step when it comes.’ ”

– The game closed the second of six times the Heat face the same opponent in consecutive games this season, with the Heat having lost Friday night at Madison Square Garden. The Heat last week split such a pairing against the Cavaliers at Kaseya Center.