MIAMI — Observations and other notes of interest from Monday night’s 147-123 victory over the Denver Nuggets:

– Why can’t the Heat have good things?

– For that matter, why can’t the NBA?

– With Monday night’s game a prime example.

– No Nikola Jokic in the second half for Denver due to a knee injury, after a typical, MVP-level first half.

– And then at the start of the fourth quarter, the Heat’s Pelle Larsson limping back to the locker room with a sprained right ankle.

– Just three games after returning from a significant sprain of his left ankle.

– Obviously no comparison between Jokic and Larsson.

– But, still, disappointment for the Heat.

– Because the Heat bench looked very good for extended stretches in this one.

– From Larsson to Nikola Jovic to Dru Smith to Jaime Jaquez Jr.

– With starter Andrew Wiggins again cycled back into that mix and making the mix work.

– So now another Larsson watch, going out on the same night Bam Adebayo came back.

– And with Tyler Herro looking within a week of a return.

– Adebayo was back from his two-game absence with back pain and back in the starting lineup, joined by Wiggins, Kel’el Ware, Norman Powell and Davion Mitchell.

– Of Adebayo getting the two days off, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said pregame, “You don’t know long-term what it will mean. I just know he needed it right now. He wasn’t ready to play two games ago, for sure, the way he was moving. But it allowed him to spend a lot of time with the rehab and corrective exercises, just getting realigned.”

– Spoelstra added, “I think that’ll get him in a better place, for sure, than where he was. And we’ll find out. He’s done everything he possibly can do to get ready for tonight. I know he wants to be out there.”

– Spoelstra allowed Wiggins to play through a pair of early fouls before Jaquez and Larsson entered as the first Heat substitutes midway through the opening period.

– Jovic and Smith followed.

– With Wiggins then later again inserted with those four substitutes.

– That had rookie Kasparas Jakucionis out of the mix for the first time in eight games.

– And Simone Fontecchio still out of the mix.

– Jovic’s confidence seems all the way back.

– With Jaquez again doing Jaquez things.

– And Smith continuing to demonstrate he belongs.

– Spoelstra followed up his Saturday postgame remarks about Jaquez with pregame comment Monday.

– “I was really talking about his competitive spirit and his voice being really consistent,” Spoelstra said, “We need that type of competitive edge throughout our roster. He’s been a great example of that. And he’s been consistent with his paint attacks all year, and he’s continued to improve with his decision-making.”

– Spoelstra added, “Teams are sending more defenders when he drives, backing off from him in certain cases. And I think he’s getting better at making those reads.”

– Spoelstra needed little prodding when asked pregame about the Nuggets’ Jokic.

– “I mean, he has the cheat code, for sure,” Spoelstra said. “I think what people don’t talk about enough is his competitive will and drive. He is extremely driven to win. And so that allows him, because of his skill set, to do whatever is necessary.”

– Spoelstra added, “He has an uncanny way of making the appropriate play every single time down. He’s not stat hunting. He’s not feeling like he has to get in a rhythm. If he has to make 18 straight passes, he will. If he has to score 18 straight times, he will. Or if he just has to get you 22 rebounds and seven of them offensive rebounds, he’ll do that.”

– Spoelstra concluded with, “The thing that he’s doing this year is really remarkable. He’s been a three-time MVP, and this is his best year right now. He just continues to get better.”

– Powell extended his streak of games scoring in double figures to 31, four games off the longest such run of his career.

– Ware extended his career-best run of games with multiple offensive rebounds to 14.

– Ware’s seventh point was the 1,000th of his career.