Winderman’s view: A Heat victory as simple as a motivated Butler when needed

MIAMI — Observations and other notes of interest from Wednesday night’s 116-104 victory over the San Antonio Spurs:

– It was a game that crystallized the Jimmy Butler experience.

– Doing enough most of the way to keep it competitive.

– Then take charge as needed.

– Sort of like his approach with the regular season and playoffs.

– So this time, no rest at the start of the fourth quarter.

– Not necessarily because of Erik Spoelstra’s new rotation.

– But because there only was a one-point lead at that stage over a 10-win team.

– Butler at his most energetic remains, by far, the Heat’s most significant asset.

– And by doing it on the second night of a back-to-back set, it shows he has energy in reserve.

– While also aware the Heat now are idle until their Super Bowl Sunday home game against the Celtics.

– Jimmy Butler as closer?

– Pretty, pretty, pretty good.

– The Heat for the second consecutive game opened with a lineup of Bam Adebayo, Caleb Martin, Butler, Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier.

– Inactive for the Heat were Haywood Highsmith, Dru Smith and two-way players Jamal Cain, RJ Hampton and Cole Swider.

– Jaime Jaquez Jr. played as the Heat’s first reserve, with Butler first out for the Heat.

– That was followed by Josh Richardson and Kevin Love entering together.

– With Duncan Robinson then entering and Butler returning, for the second straight night pairing Butler with four reserves at the end of the opening period.

– Butler extended his streak of games with at least one steal to nine.

– Butler also extended his career-best streak of games with at least one 3-pointer to 10.

– Spoelstra spoke pregame of Spurs rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama.

– “You certainly see the highlights, it seems like every single day,” Spoelstra said. “And he’s in an environment and a program where all the fundamentals, all the intangibles that lead to winning, those things are being stressed, day in, day out.”

– Spoelstra added, “So you definitely see improvement. It’s on both sides of the floor. He can really impact the game defensively, just at the rim and changing what you do.”

– Spurs coach Gregg Popovich then spoke of the Heat’s addition of Rozier.

– “He’s a seasoned pro,” Popovich said. “He’s a known scorer. He can score in a lot of different ways. He plays with passion. He can really heat up and add to the tool box Spo can use. That experience and that skill is going to help them.”

– To Spoelstra the focus going in was the same as it ever was.

– “We’re focused on our defensive identity and committing to making things as tough as possible for 48 straight minutes,” he said. “We’re showing more consistency there, but we need to do more.”

– At halftime, a group of  over 200 adult Black men, including  Heat players, coaches, employees, local media personalities, and other citizens, locked arm and arms gathered at center court while a spoken-word piece was performed to honor the 162 Black men pivotal in Miami’s incorporation on July 28, 1896.

– The event, as part of the Heat’s commemoration of Black History Month, commemorated Miami attaining official city status on that date, with 162 Black men crucial to meeting the required voter count, as Florida law mandated 300 registered voters for incorporation.

– The “Miami 162” participated in the election, most having immigrated from the Caribbean while others were former slaves that had migrated to South Florida. The “Miami 162” constituted 44 percent of the eventual voters who helped establish Miami as a city.