Love updates injury situation. And news on NBA Finals, Lowry, Spoelstra, Bam

A six-pack of Heat notes on a Monday, as Miami tries to close out Boston in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday at Kaseya Center (8:30 p.m.,TNT):

▪ Heat starting forward Kevin Love, who left Game 3 with a leg issue, is expected to play in Game 4. The Heat is listing him as probable.

The Heat is calling Love’s injury a lower left leg muscle strain.

Love said “it felt like a muscle cramp. Was kind of off and on. I wanted to ask to come out, wanted to be smart about it, told coach I could go back in if needed. We had a conversation, we were up 15.

“I said I was available. Score got upwards of 20, 30. From that point on, I’d figure I would get my treatment, make sure I was all good. [Tuesday] if I’m feeling good, I’ll be ready to go.”

Erik Spoelstra said Love’s “veteran experience, and that stability he’s given that starting lineup, even in those minutes, they really matter in the playoffs. There’s no way to even quantify it. He’s gives us that positional size. His rebound numbers per 36 [minutes] are outstanding.”

▪ As for Tyler Herro, the cast has been removed from his surgically repaired right hand. But as of Monday, he wasn’t shooting with that hand.

“He’s making progress; no timetable yet,” Spoelstra said, adding he would have a more definitive update Tuesday.

Herro sustained the fracture in his hand during the Heat’s first playoff game against Milwaukee.

After the surgery, the Heat announced that Herro would be out at least six weeks. An exact six-week timetable would have him back the day before Game 7 of the Heat-Celtics series, if necessary, though it seems highly unlikely that Herro would play in this series.

▪ Even if the Denver Nuggets sweep the Lakers on Monday night and the Heat sweeps the Celtics, the NBA Finals would not move up to an earlier date.

The Finals will start on Thursday, June 1, with Game 2 scheduled for Sunday, June 4. Denver would host both of those games if the Nuggets and the Heat advance.

Games 3 and 4 would be Wednesday, June 7 and Friday, June 9, in Miami if the Heat eliminates Boston.

If the Nuggets and Heat advance, Game 5 would be Monday, June 12 in Denver, with Game 6 in Miami on Thursday, June 15, and Game 7 on Sunday, June 18, in Colorado.

▪ Celtics guard Jaylen Brown is shooting 4 for 12 (with one assist and two turnovers) in this series when defended by Bam Adebayo.

Adebayo opened Game 3 with that assignment because the Celtics went small, with guard Derrick White replacing center Robert Williams in the starting lineup.

“Every single year, he should be in contention and eventually win Defensive Player of the Year,” Spoelstra said. “When you’re sitting in a head coaching chair, to be able to put him in a lot of different places, different schemes.

“The fact he takes so much pride in it, like Jimmy [Butler], that really makes a difference. Everybody follows those guys, because they let everyone know how important it is to play on both sides of the ball.”

▪ How does the Heat keep its edge with the knowledge that teams that fall behind 0-3 in a best-of-seven series are 0-149 all time?

“We haven’t done anything,” Kyle Lowry said. “It’s first to four.”

“Boston has great pride; they’ll bring it,” Spoelstra said. “You don’t want to get ahead of yourselves.”

▪ Beyond scoring on several alley-oop dunks in this series, Adebayo has been attacking the rim more for dunks, including a gorgeous spin move on Brown.

Is that something he has decided to make an effort to do more of?

“That’s the flow of the game,” he said. “For me, it’s looking at the opportunities I have, realizing the opportunities are at game speed, and going with my gut.”

On the self-created dunk against Brown, Adebayo said: “I didn’t realize he fell. It’s one of those plays I feel I’ll have many more in my career. That will go on my list.”

▪ Quick stuff: Lowry still leads the team in postseason blocks with 12. How does he do that at 6 feet?

“I got bounce,” he said. “Strip block thing is a weird thing. I’ll take it.”...

Lowry said Jimmy Butler is “the best player in the world right now. He’s unbelievably good.”...

At the Celtics’ media availability at a local hotel on Monday, guard Malcolm Brogdon said: “We still believe we are the better team.”...

Spoelstra’s seven conference finals appearances since becoming Heat coach in 2008 are the second most in any pro sport, behind New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick’s eight.