Heat’s Lowry, Yurtseven discuss return to court. Why Spoelstra is using Lowry off bench

In a season when repeated losses to lottery teams has grown old, the Heat on Saturday offered up two things new this season:

Kyle Lowry coming off the bench, and Omer Yurtseven appearing in a game.

Both developments added intrigue to Saturday’s 126-114 overtime loss in Orlando, which ruined a 38-point night from Jimmy Butler.

Shelved for more than four months because of an ankle injury that required surgery, Yurtseven made his 2022-23 Heat regular-season debut on Saturday, summoned off the bench late in the first quarter when Cody Zeller left for good with a broken nose, as well as a cut under his right eye.

Lowry, meanwhile, appeared in a game for the first time since Feb. 2, returning from knee soreness that sidelined him 15 consecutive games, after missing four games in January. But he made that return as a reserve, ending his streak of 677 consecutive starts, dating to January 2013.

Largely because the Heat went to overtime, Lowry logged 36 minutes in his first game back, more than the team had planned.

“I scanned a couple of things on the box score, and I saw that,” Erik Spoelstra said. “I was like, ‘Oh, man, that definitely wasn’t the plan.’ But he’s prepared himself. He’ll take care of himself. He’ll be ready to go.”

Though Miami was outscored by a team-worst 17 points when Lowry was on the court, Lowry had some good moments - including two fourth-quarter threes when the Heat rallied from 10 down to send it to OT on a Butler double-pumped three-pointer at the buzzer.

“I didn’t expect to play 36 minutes but Tyler [Herro] unfortunately was out” late with food poisoning.

Lowry closed with 12 points, four assists, two steals and three turnovers, shooting 4 for 8 from the field and 3 for 6 on threes.

“It was great to be back with the guys,” he said. “It’s been a long process. I appreciate [the team and] myself being patient because I wanted to play, but it was one of those things you want to make sure if you come back and play, you don’t have any setbacks. The staff, the team, we worked together to make sure I can get back and play without any setbacks. Just be smart about everything.”

Lowry said he’s accepting of coming off the bench for the first time in a decade. Gabe Vincent started at point guard for the 16th game in a row on Saturday.

With Herro sidelined late in the game because of food poisoning, Vincent and Lowry were on the floor together during the closing minutes of regulation and the overtime session, in which Orlando outscored Miami 18-6.

“At this point, I know in my heart I’m a starter,” Lowry said. “Spo and I talked and he wants to make sure I’m healthy and not have to change the lineup again and change the rotation. The great communicator, great coach he is, I respect it. [Spoelstra’s thinking was] ‘if you’re going to come back, we want to make sure you’re healthy and be successful about it.’ We had a great talk.

“Whatever it takes, I’m all in, whether it’s 15 minutes, 30 minutes,... [starting], coming off the bench, we’ll have to figure it out, whatever it takes to win basketball games. For me, it’s about being professional and helping any capacity I can help.”

He said being sidelined for more than a month was “tough. You want to win games. Not being able to physically be out there and help, you can help intellectually yes. It’s frustrating. The games are so close, guys are fighting their butts off, and all I can say is ‘good game and let’s get back at it.’”

Lowry hopes to make a difference on a team that is 4-6 since the All Star break.

“We’re tough minded, we’re resilient,” he said. “We have some mental lapses at times. I know we can force our will on any team. We have to do it.”

As for Yurtseven, he could be back in the rotation temporarily if Zeller misses time with a broken nose, sustained in a collision with Magic guard Jalen Suggs late in the first quarter. Zeller was ruled out for Monday’s home game against Utah (7:30 p.m., Bally Sports Sun).

Some players return quickly from a broken nose if they wear a mask to protect it. As an example, Suns guard Devin Booker didn’t miss any time after breaking his nose in a 2021 playoff series.

Yurtseven - who played in two G-League games recently - had one rebound and a foul and missed his only shot in seven scoreless minutes.

“Mad and motivated,” Yurtseven said of the Heat losing in his season debut. “I was trying to be ready. Really wanted to win, do everything I could to help us get that.”

Yurtseven was sidelined for a few weeks in preseason before the doctors determined that he needed the Nov. 15 surgery to address an impingement, bone spur and stress reaction.

“Definitely a battle being able to get to this point and be pain free and go 100 percent,” he said. “It’s still an adjustment.”

He said he felt “different, something I’m not used to” during his four-minute first- half stint. “The second time I went in [in the second half], I was on pace, on speed, felt a whole better. Every time will be exponentially better.”

Yurtseven averaged 12.1 points and 12.7 rebounds and shot 51 percent from the field in 12 starts last season.

But Zeller has played well since signing with the Heat during the All Star break, averaging 5.0 points, 3.7 rebounds in 14 minutes per game, while shooting 53.6 percent.

In Zeller’s absence, Yurtseven said his mission is to “rebound, set screens, defend pick and rolls, be able to do it all, get guys open. I think I can help our offense, get us more possessions.”

INJURY UPDATE

Besides Zeller, Duncan Robinson (health and safety protocols) also is out for Monday’s game. Lowry and Caleb Martin are questionable because of left knee soreness. Nikola Jovic (G-League assignment) is out.

BUTLER’S BRILLIANCE

In the 10 games since the All Star break, Butler is averaging 26.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 62.9 percent from the field and 50 percent (7 for 14) on threes.

Before the All Star break, he averaged 21.7 points and shot 50.7 percent from the field.

He scored 26 points in the second half on Saturday - including 15 in the fourth quarter - but didn’t take a shot in overtime.

Butler’s 38 points on Saturday tied his most in a regular season game for the Heat. He scored 40 points twice in the 2020 playoffs in the Orlando bubble, and had games of 45, 40, 41 and 47 during last season’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

“He’s one of the best players in the NBA, both sides of the ball,” Lowry said. “He’s in his groove. It sucks he’s playing this well and we’re not winning games we should. With us being in seventh [in the East], he’s not getting the attention he should… We have to win games and there will be a lot more shine on him.”