SAN ANTONIO – Observations and other notes of interest from Thursday night’s 107-101 loss to the San Antonio Spurs:
– Andrew Wiggins has spent the bulk of his career deferential.
– Because save for his early years with the Minnesota Timberwolves, there mostly was something better alongside.
– That certainly was the case with the Warriors.
– The case alongside Tyler Herro with the Heat last season.
– And then alongside Norman Powell at the start of this season.
– Thursday, there was no Herro, no Powell, and not the jet fuel that had been Jaime Jaquez Jr. to start the season, with Jaquez quiet on this night.
– So Wiggins showed what an aggressive Wiggins could look like.
– On a night it was needed.
– Yes, the ultimate score mattered.
– But so was getting Wiggins to this level.
– Because if this early-season ride is to be something, then it will have to be Wiggins as a significant contributor.
– When also playing alongside Herro and Powell.
– But Thursday offered an appetizer.
– Now, more please.
– Because from Wiggins, even in defeat, this was encouraging, heartening, and, in the moment, needed.
– With Powell (groin) out again, the Heat again opened with Wiggins, Kel’el Ware, Bam Adebayo, Davion Mitchell and Pelle Larsson, the same group that opened Tuesday against the Hornets.
– Inactive for the Heat were Herro, Kasparas Jakucionis, Vlad Goldin and Terry Rozier, who again was listed as “not with team.”
– Jakucionis went through shooting drills pregame, an encouraging sign in his work back from a groin strain.
– Powell was listed as an active scratch.
– That had two-way players Myron Gardner and Jahmir Young active on their two-way Heat contracts.
– Asked whether he would be back for Sunday’s game against the Lakers, the second stop on this four-game trip, Powell said, “We’re taking it day by day now. So we’ll see. I don’t want to put anything out there and put pressure on anybody. But I’ll just say that I don’t plan on being out too long.”
– The Spurs opened with a lineup of Harrison Barnes, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.
– It was Jaquez again as Heat sixth man.
– With Dru Smith following.
– And then together Nikola Jovic and Simone Fontecchio for nine deep.
– That again left Keshad Johnson as the only other available from the standard rotation not in the initial mix.
– Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the challenges of this four-game trip are meaningful. “You have to embrace these opportunities,” he said. “It is early in the season, but it’s also something that’s fun right now.”
– The Heat entered having won a franchise-record five in a row against the Spurs, as well as five in a row in San Antonio, entering the night without a road loss to the Spurs since Jan. 19, 2020.
– The Spurs entered seeking the first 5-0 start in franchise history.
– With his first block, Wembanyama extended his streak of games with at least one to 90, training only NBA streaks of Patrick Ewing (145), Dikembe Mutombo (116) and Mark Eaton (94).