South Florida Local News

MIAMI — For Pelle Larsson, there is only one speed. Even when the second-year Miami Heat guard was out of view, it was still a matter of life in the fast lane.

So five games out due to a sprained ankle and then immediately injected into the starting lineup? No problem, as evidenced by Larsson’s 21 points in Friday night’s 126-111 road victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

“You should have seen his rehab sessions,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, as the Heat turned their attention to Saturday night’s visit by the Indiana Pacers to Kaseya Center. “Whether it was on the bike initially, it was just all out — almost a level of throwing up. I walked in on one of those sessions.

“And then also his court sessions, he just pushes the envelope. And so, he had the conditioning. It’s different than game conditioning.”

Yet determined to make it back as quickly as possible and as ready as possible — minus the projectiles.

“I can’t say I was going to vomit,” Larsson said of those grueling rehab sessions. “We were working really, really hard, going up and down with the guys who weren’t playing. I was still pretty gassed.

“But game by game it’s going to get better.”

The first game back was plenty good enough, with the 2024 second-round pick out of Arizona 9 of 13 from the field in 29:40, including 3 of 4 on 3-pointers, with six rebounds and five assists.

“He’s a gamer,” Heat guard Norman Powell said. “He’s not only a gamer, he’s a game changer just with his physicality and energy effort on both sides of the floor. He kept plays alive, made it tough and difficult for every matchup he was on —  putting his face into plays, getting fouls.

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“We missed that about him, continuing to make winning plays whenever he’s on the floor.”

That led to a postgame debate of whether or how many times Larsson got hit in the face. Larsson said he did not feel any such contact, but Powell said Larsson was selling himself short.

Regardless, the energy and effort were real.

“For sure, for sure,” guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. said. “We’re so happy to have him back in this lineup. He’s the ultimate energy guy, really just gives everybody life and the spark that we desperately needed.

“So the fact that he was able to come in after so many games missed and just play like that just shows how hard of a worker and how great of a player he is.”

Also back Friday was forward Nikola Jovic, who missed four games with an elbow contusion.

While Jovic’s shooting struggles continued, going 3 of 14 for 10 points, he also had seven rebounds and four assists, with the Heat outscoring Atlanta by 10 in his 21:13.

“I think this was a good step for him to be able to contribute and impact the game without making shots,” Spoelstra said. “And you didn’t see some of the body language that sometimes has happened if he misses layups or misses open threes or has a turnover. He just got on to the next play and tried to help contribute to the next play.

“And he did some very good things. When he gets in better rhythm, I have no doubt that the shooting will be better. But you don’t want to just be reliant on whether the ball goes in and whether you can impact the game. So that was a good step.”

Heartening, Jovic said.

“During this time that I was injured, I talked a lot to assistant coaches and some of the people from the Heat and they helped me find a way to get back and to play quicker, just trying to think about the next play,” Jovic said.

The Heat on Saturday afternoon ruled out Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro against the Pacers.

It is the second consecutive game Adebayo has missed due to lower-back pain.

It is the ninth game that Herro has missed due to a toe contusion, having appeared in only six games this season, after September ankle surgery.

The only other players ruled out against the Pacers were two-way players Vlad Goldin and Jahmir Young, who are  in the G League, and guard Terry Rozier, who remains on NBA leave due to the FBI gambling investigation.