Winderman’s view: It’s what came before that left the Heat at a greater loss in Boston

BOSTON — Observations and other notes of interest from Monday night’s 108-89 loss to the Boston Celtics:

– This is why you don’t let one get away on Sunday night in Toronto.

– Not with a schedule now this unforgiving.

– No, the expectation hardly was of the Heat, no matter the physical state of their roster, striding out of TD Garden with a victory.

– But the previous portion of the schedule allowed the Heat to position themselves so it wouldn’t be an exit with a losing record.

– As it is now, at 9-10.

– With LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers up next.

– And then Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns.

– And then the good-enough-to-beat-the-Celtics Cleveland Cavaliers

– This would have required the Heat at their healthiest best.

– Instead, in the injury absence of Jimmy Butler, there was no one to pick up the pieces.

– As much as Jaime Jaquez Jr. tried.

– Especially with Bam Adebayo in his ongoing offensive funk.

– Instead, it was Thomas Bryant and Dru Smith coming through that door.

– And the Heat exiting stage left with another loss.

– With Butler out due to Sunday night’s knee injury in Toronto, the Heat opened with Jaquez in his place, alongside previous starters Adebayo, Haywood Highsmith, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson.

– The game was Robinson’s 367th career regular-season appearance, tying him with Tim Hardaway for 15th on the Heat all-time list.

– Robinson then in the first quarter recorded his first dunk of the season.

– In addition to being without Butler, the Heat also were without Kevin Love (back), Kel’el Ware (foot), Nikola Jovic (ankle), Josh Richardson (illness) and Josh Christopher (G League).

– The Celtics were without Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Sam Hauser.

– Jaylen Brown had been listed as questionable due to illness just prior to game time, but he was available for the Celtics.

–  Bryant entered first off the Heat bench, just as Love had been in recent games.

– Terry Rozier and Pelle Larsson followed together.

– With Alec Burks making it nine deep.

– And then an appearance by Dru Smith, who had not played in the previous three games.

– That left two-way player Keshad Johnson as the lone available Heat player not to see action in the opening period.

– Johnson later entered in the third period, his first NBA action, with his first NBA points coming on a dunk.

– Asked pregame if he still considers Heat-Celtics a rivalry, Boston coach Joe Mazzulla replied, “I would like to consider every game a rivalry.”

– But Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he remains all on Heat-Celtics, even on nights when diluted like Monday.

– “It always makes you feel alive,” he said pregame.

– The game concluded Heat’s third back-to-back set of the season, after losing Sunday in Toronto.

– The Heat had split their previous two back-to-back sets, with a total of 15 this season.

– Herro extended his streak of games with at least one 3-pointer to 53, 16 games off Robinson’s Heat record.

– Herro made it 49 consecutive games scoring in double figures. His previous longest streak had been 38.

– Adebayo’s fourth defensive rebound moved him past Dwyane Wade for second place on the Heat all-time list.