Winderman’s view: Kevin Love again with another quality Heat relief effort

WASHINGTON – Observations and other notes of interest from Friday night’s 110-102 victory over the Washington Wizards:

– It was just over a year ago when the Heat added Kevin Love on the 2023 buyout market.

– It was a move that continues to pay dividends.

– With that again the case on Friday night, Love with a double-double within his first 20 minutes on the floor.

– Again providing quality relief for Bam Adebayo.

– Something the Heat continue to look for when Jimmy Butler dares take a rest.

– Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said pregame that keeping Love in a stable minutes range has provided tangible results.

– “I think if we keep him where he is, he could do this role forever,” he said. “And he’s really embraced it and he’s excelling at that role.”

– At 35, Love is a prime example of playing within your means.

– With Spoelstra also careful not to overextend.

– Love had been uneven initially in his return from a knee contusion, bur again has found his rhythm.

– “Right before he got injured,” Spoelstra said, “he was a massive impact on the game, particularly offensively, and just really helped set the stage for all of our guys.”

– It again was Adebayo, Haywood Highsmith, Butler, Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier as the Heat’s starting lineup.

– Love and Jaime Jaquez Jr. then entered as the Heat’s first two reserves.

– With Caleb Martin following after Highsmith was called for two early fouls.

– Josh Richardson then made it nine deep.

– Spoelstra went into Friday’s game stressing the need to build off of Wednesday night’s home victory over the Kings.

– “We obviously have to sustain,” he said. “We constantly are now talking about our identity, how it looks like, feels like, when we’re at our best, closest to our identity. And the opponents have to feel us. The other night, that was the case.”

– Adebayo spoke at Friday morning’s shootaround about the need to continue to build off of Tuesday’s candid video session.

– “I think we accomplished the connection, really getting down the communication, making that the focal point,” Adebayo said. “Without communication, you can’t run any schemes, you can’t run any offense – because it’s not going to work. I feel like communication fixed that, as a whole. We just need to sustain in that area.”

– Shootaround was held at George Washington University, where former University of Miami assistant Chris Caputo is coach.