Winderman’s view: Heat’s Nikola Jovic has winning moment in win; will there be more?

MIAMI — Observations and other notes of interest from Thursday night’s 114-104 victory over the Toronto Raptors:

— The Nikola Jovic takeover in the second period was about more than Nikola Jovic.

— It was about more than his 11 points in the quarter.

— It was about a Heat second unit still in search of identity.

— Part of that identity was lost with the ankle sprain that has sidelined Pelle Larsson.

— Part of it is Terry Rozier still attempting to find his way as a reserve for the first time in years.

— Part of it is second-year Jaime Jaquez Jr. not looking anything like first-year Jaime Jaquez Jr.

— Part of it is the waiting game with first-round pick Kel’el Ware.

— To a degree, about the only given lately when it comes to quality contribution from the second unit is Dru Smith.

— Which also says plenty.

— With all due respect to Smith.

— And then along came Jovic in this one.

— Yes, as 10th man.

— But as the boost the Heat needed after a squalid start.

— Playing ahead of Kevin Love as Erik Spoelstra cycled through his rotation a second time.

— With Love no longer a given.

— As was shown over the weekend when Thomas Bryant got his shot.

— Love, though, was back in the mix in the third period.

— That time playing alongside Jovic.

— Now that the starting lineup has found an identity, the next step is replacing what Haywood Highsmith and Duncan Robinson had meant to that second unit.

— And now don’t be so quick to count out Jovic as part of that mix.

— A statement was needed.

— A statement was provided.

— The Heat again opened with a lineup of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Robinson and Highsmith.

— Entering 7-2 with that lineup.

— Already without Scottie Barnes due to an ankle sprain suffered in their previous games, Monday night’s loss to the Knicks, the Raptors announced just before tipoff that starting center Jakob Poeltl was doubtful with back spasms, with Bruno Fernando starting in his place.

— That was with the Raptors already without Immanuel Quickley and Bruce Brown due to injury.

–— Poeltl nonetheless entered for Fernando early in the first period.

— Smith played first off the Heat bench.

— Followed by Love and Jaquez.

— And then Rozier for nine deep.

— With Jovic eventually pulled out of his deep freeze for 10 deep.

— His first action in nine games.

— Spoelstra pregame said the focus had to remain on the moment, amid the three-game winning streak the Heat carried into the game.

— “We’re trying to build on something,” he said.

— He added, “We’re still not anywhere where we want to be, so we have some work to do.”

— Among the immediate goals, Spoelstra said, was closing out the homestand at 4-0.

— “Yes, we’ve talked about it,” he said. “Everybody’s aware of it. And everybody wants to play well in front of our fans. And this would be a good step, finishing off this homestand.”

— The game was the third for the Heat against the Raptors in two weeks.

— “This is the schedule,” he said. “It’s not one of those weird deals of a schedule where we play a team back to back home and away like we did before. We’ve had some games since then.”

— Herro extended his career-best streak of games scoring in double figures to 53. His previous high was 38 in a row.

— Herro also extended his career best streak of games with at least one 3-pointer to 57, 12 games off Robinson’s franchise record.