An analysis of Saturday’s Miami Heat-Minnesota Timberwolves

Observations and other notes of interest from Saturday night’s 106-90 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves:

– This was one of those nights when you could see the possibilities if the Heat consistently were in win-now mode.

– Nikola Jovic created his moments on the boards and from the 3-point line.

– But win-now means minutes instead for Kevin Love, who sat this one out with a shoulder issue.

– Jamal Cain showed the type of athleticism this roster otherwise lacks.

– But that was with Jimmy Butler taking the night off.

– Jaime Jaquez Jr. showed unusual poise for a rookie.

– But this is a team that assuredly made playing-time assurances to Josh Richardson to nab him on the free-agent market at the veteran minimum.

– So, yes, the kids could contribute more.

– But that is not what this, at this moment, is built for.

– Still, it was an encouraging night of what could be ahead.

– The kids? They were all right.

– With limited options to round out his starting lineup, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra opened with Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry, Jovic and Jaquez.

– That mix was created with Butler opting for rest and Love out with his shoulder injury.

– The options were further diminished with Caleb Martin, Richardson and Haywood Highsmith also out. Of those three, only Martin having made a single appearance this season.

– Jovic had started eight games last season as a rookie.

– Jaquez started all 103 games over his final three seasons at UCLA, before being drafted No. 18 by the Heat in June.

– Duncan Robinson played as the Heat’s first reserve.

– With Jamal Cain and Dru Smith entering together next.

– Smith was another young player who had his moments.

– When Thomas Bryant made it nine deep midway through the opening period, it left Orlando Robinson, R.J. Hampton and Cole Swider as the only available Heat players not to see action.

– With his fifth point, Robinson passed Richardson for 21st on the Heat all-time scoring list.

– Also, with the appearance, Robinson tried P.J. Brown for 20th on the Heat all-time regular-season games list, at 284.

– Jovic was active early on the boards, with five rebounds in his eight first-period minutes, later moving to a season high.

– Lowry was moving the ball early, with four first-quarter assists.

– The shorthanded roster also had Spoelstra turning early to zone defense.

– The NBA’s officiating report on Saturday upheld the decision on the Butler foul that Spoelstra had challenged during a decisive closing moment in Friday’s loss in Boston.

– The report essentially said that while there was agreement with Spoelstra that there was no Butler foul on the play Spoelstra challenged, which otherwise would have been a Boston backcourt violation in a three-point game, there had been a Butler foul earlier in the sequence.