Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Max Strus not enough as Heat drop opener 116-108 to Bulls

Jimmy Butler was relentless. Tyler Herro was aggressive. Max Strus added energy off the bench. And . . . that’s where it basically ended Wednesday night for the Miami Heat in their 116-108 season-opening loss to the Chicago Bulls at FTX Arena.

“We didn’t do too much right,” Butler said.

With Bam Adebayo unable to make shots and Kyle Lowry uninvolved to the point of not taking them until the waning minutes, the Heat found a way to lose to a Bulls roster lacking sidelined Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball.

“It’s a long season, and I’m sure we’ll get better,” Lowry said.

The move to a more offensive bent with the insertion of Herro into the starting five was supposed to take some of the pressure off the Heat defense. The reality is that there are limits to succeeding with limited deterrence.

“We were just giving up crazy amounts of baskets,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Our defense was not sharp tonight.”

So even with Butler pounding his way to a 24-point effort that included 14-of-16 foul shooting, and even with Herro scoring 23, the Heat came up short at the start of their season-opening four-game homestand.

Because if it wasn’t Adebayo shooting 5 of 15 on his foul-filled night, it was Lowry passive to the point of scoring just two points on 1-of-7 shooting.

“The game was flowing around other players,” Lowry said of his limited impact.

The Heat also got 22 points from Strus, who shot 5 of 7 on 3-pointers.

“It’s the first game of the year,” Strus said. “We’re still trying to figure out things.”

The Bulls were led by the 37 points of ageless DeMar DeRozan and a 15-point, 17-rebound double-double from center Nikola Vucevic. Former Heat guard Goran Dragic added 12 points for Chicago.

“DeRozan got fully into his comfort zone,” Spoelstra said.

So one loss, 81 regular-season games to go.

“Nothing but building blocks and solutions,” Adebayo said of what comes next.

Five Degrees of Heat from Wednesday’s game:

1. Closing time: From a 59-59 halftime tie, the Bulls pushed to a 15-point lead in the third quarter and went into the fourth up 96-86.

But as Spoelstra cycled back to his starters in the fourth, the Heat got within 102-98 on a Strus 3-pointer with 6:19 to play.

Later, though, a missed pair of Strus free throws was followed by a Vucevic 3-pointer that put Chicago up 107-98 with 4:57 remaining.

“Defensively we weren’t making multiple efforts and our next-play speed to make the third or fourth effort that was necessary,” Spoelstra said.

2. Solid start: Getting the starting role he coveted, Herro opened by draining a pair of 3-pointers and then worked out of a trap to convert a running floater, giving him eight of the Heat’s first 10 points. He then also made his third 3-point attempt, giving him 11 of the Heat’s first 16.

He closed 8 of 15 from the field and 4 of 8 on 3-pointers.

Yet for all of Herro’s offense, the Heat were outscored by 18 when Herro was on the floor.

“Defensively, they were too comfortable,” Herro said. “It was too easy for them.”

The other promoted starter was Caleb Martin, who filled the void created by P.J. Tucker’s move to the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency. Martin exited his initial 9:22 stint with seven points and three assists, but largely was a non-factor thereafter.

“I thought he brought some really good things,” Spoelstra said of Martin.

The other three in the opening lineup were incumbent starters Butler, Adebayo and Lowry.

3. Four play: For all of Butler’s consternation about being cast as a power forward, he wound up playing in that role after his first break, cast alongside center Dewayne Dedmon, along with Duncan Robinson, Strus and Gabe Vincent.

Butler, who played the final possession of the first quarter at center, was in attack mode from the outset, with six free throws in the opening period.

With Victor Oladipo sidelined, Butler was the first starter removed by Spoelstra, cycled back in to play with the second unit. Those are minutes Spoelstra likely would prefer to eventually save once (if?) Oladipo is available.

“It was our defense,” Butler said of the loss. “We can score with the best of ‘em.”

4. The Bam jam: For all the angst about Adebayo having to shoot more, he stood with two points on 1-of-10 shooting at halftime and then 3 of 13 with six points entering the fourth quarter.

Adebayo opened 0 for 6 from the field before a second-period transition dunk that was followed by his throwing his arms to the air with a finally scored gesture.

“That’s an anomaly,” Spoelstra said of Adebayo missing so many quality scoring opportunities. “He was missing point-blank shots. What that could have possibly done is give us more of a cushion in the first half.”

Adebayo agreed.

“It’s a game of inches,” he said. “That’s how you have to look at it. I missed shots that I make every day in practice, every day in shootarounds.”

5. Dragic returns: Having signed as a free agent with the Bulls in the offseason, Dragic returned by scoring 12 points in his first eight minutes off Chicago’s bench, opening 4 of 4 on 3-pointers.

It was Dragic’s third game against the Heat, and second visit to FTX Arena, since being dealt along with Precious Achiuwa to the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 offseason.

Achiuwa will be at FTX Arena on Saturday and Monday nights, when the Raptors visit.