ORLANDO - Observations and other notes of interest from Saturday night's 121-114 loss to the Orlando Magic:
- This was no time for easing off the gas.
- Not when a two-game losing streak could have turned into three.
- Not with Jimmy Butler back in Miami with a stomach illness.
- But, most importantly, not after what happened Monday night in Detroit.
- That's when the Pistons opened without Tobias Harris and Jaden Ivey and then lost Isaiah Stewart early.
- This time, the opposition was a Magic team lacking Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, Orlando's three best players, also without Garry Harris and then losing Moe Wagner early, followed by a second-period ejection of starting power forward Wendell Carter Jr.
- What you do, what you need to do in that situation, is stomp early, try to settle it early.
- As so many opponents did last season, when the Heat struggled through their injury-plagued season.
- So, no, this did not erase the bitter taste of Monday night.
- With Butler sidelined by the illness that had him leaving the game for good in Friday night's first quarter against the Thunder, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra turned to a dramatically different opening lineup.
- This time the Heat opened with Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson . . . and Nikola Jovic and Dru Smith.
- That quintet had never played an NBA minute together prior to Saturday night's opening tip.
- Jovic then was called for his second foul 2:02 into the game, but remained in.
- Of having to go without Butler, Spoelstra said pregame, "I think you just have to deal with whatever hand you're dealt in this league, regardless."
- Friday night, the Heat had Butler only for his opening stint.
- "Tonight we have clarity, who's available," Spoelstra said pregame.
- Of his bench rotation having been uneven in recent games, Spoelstra said, "We'll figure it out. We've found some lineups that have been productive for us. And everybody's searching for more consistency throughout the rotation. It's not all going to be perfect."
- With Kevin Love away for a personal reason, first-round pick Kel'el Ware played as the Heat's first reserve.
- Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Terry Rozier then entered together as the Heat's second and third reserves.
- With Pelle Larsson, in his first action in six games, following, having been sidelined by an ankle sprain.
- Later, when Jovic was called for his third foul,Haywood Highsmith entered for the first time with 6:09 left in the second period. Highsmith had started the previous 17 games.
- Even with the teams shorthanded, Spoelstra expected typical intrastate feistiness.
- "It's Heat-Magic," he said, "so that always brings out a different level of emotion."
- The Heat had Keshad Johnson and Josh Christopher available, after the two played earlier in the day for the Heat's affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, in the G League Showcase at a nearby Orlando venue.
- The Skyforce won that game against the Timberwolves' affiliate and will play the Knicks' G League affiliate Sunday night for the Showcase title.
- "It's been fun," Spoelstra said of watching the Skyforce. "This year has been a lot of fun for the staff to watch these games and see the guys compete and play at a high level."
- Spoelstra said he tried to get Skyforce coach Dan Bisaccio, the former Heat video coordinator and the team's summer coach in July, to take in Saturday night's Heat game.
- With a smile, Spoelstra said, "And of course, he's like, 'No, I've got too much prep. I've got to get ready.' He sounds like a boring coach. Grab a beer, sit in the stands."
- The game closed the fifth of the Heat's 15 back-to-back sets this season, opening with Friday night's home loss to the Thunder.
- The Heat went into Saturday night with a 3-1 record this season on the second nights of back-to-back sets.
- Herro extended his career-best streak of games scoring in double figures to 56. His previous high was 38 in a row.
- Herro also extended his career best streak of games with at least one 3-pointer to 60, nine games off Robinson's franchise record.
- Herro has now converted a 3-pointer in the season's first 26 games. The longest such Heat 3-pointer streak to open a season was the first 28 games in 1998-99 by Tim Hardaway.