MIAMI — Amid injuries, evolving lineups, adjusted rotations, the Miami Heat appear to have found a second unit that energizes at a time of the season when energy often can be running low.

The latest concoction of coach Erik Spoelstra is a mix that includes Jaime Jaquez Jr., Dru Smith, Nikola Jovic and Simone Fontecchio, with either Kel’el Ware, or, more often, Bam Adebayo in the middle.

“I think we just play together,” Smith said, as the Heat move on from Thursday night’s 116-113 victory in Chicago to a weekend home set against the Bulls that opens 8 p.m. Saturday at Kaseya Center. “I think everybody trusts each other to make the right plays. And whenever you do that, then I think that’s when our offense works the best.”

The success of the unit often is a product of Jaquez or Smith getting into the paint and then making plays.

For Jaquez that meant six assists in Thursday night’s victory, with five for Smith.

“Just continue to watch film, get with my guys, see what they’re seeing, really just try to make the right play every single time I get to the paint,” Jaquez said, “and just continue to build, take care of the ball. That’s something I really need to get better at, is taking care of that ball.

“But once I do that, I know that I’ve got a lot of guys that can really put the ball in the basket, so I’m just trying to make the game easier for everyone.”

So far, so good for that unit.

“On our previous road trip, they were gaining confidence,” Spoelstra said. “The lineup of Dru, Simo, Jaime, Niko, and now we’re adding Kel’el to it, those  guys have really given us a punch.

“Our starters love it when our bench comes in and plays well.”

Whether that second unit remains intact for Saturday is another story, with Norman Powell to miss the game for personal reasons. In addition, Tyler Herro again will be out due to his rib issue, with Davion Mitchell again listed as doubtful with his shoulder sprain.

For the Bulls, it looks like center Nikola Vucevic will be getting the night off, listed as doubtful for rest. Listed as questionable for the Bulls are Josh Giddey (hamstring), Jalen Smith (calf) and Coby White (calf).

Late night with Spo

And Friday the Heat rested, in the wake of the whirlwind required for Thursday night’s makeup of the Jan. 8 postponed game in Chicago.

The Heat landed in Chicago at 3:47 Eastern early Thursday morning, after their Wednesday night loss to the Orlando Magic at Kaseya Center.

On Friday morning, the Heat did not touch down at Miami International Airport until 3:04 a.m., after the victory in Chicago.

Asked about preparing for more against the Bulls, Spoelstra, before leaving the United Center, said, “I don’t even know what city I’m in right now. I’ll be ready for Saturday night.”

Something different

Typically Spoelstra does not intentionally foul with his team up three in late-game situations. Thursday night, he opted not to risk a potential game-tying 3-pointer off a Bulls timeout with the Heat up 114-111 with 8.9 seconds remaining.

Instead, Pelle Larsson fouled White, who then made both free throws.

“We talked about it with Pelle, that if it was at halfcourt that we would do it,” Spoelstra said of the preceding huddle. “And it was likely going to be the ball going to White. So I trust Pelle to be able to make that play. He wasn’t in a shooting motion.”

The same was not the approach when the Bulls inbounded with 4.6 seconds remaining down three, when White was off from 29 feet on a potential game-tying shot just before the final buzzer.

Playoff feel

Unlike the Heat, who have escaped the play-in round to actually experience the playoffs, Bulls coach Billy Donovan noted how this three-game set against the Heat at least allows his roster to get a sense of game-planning for successive games against the same opponent,

“Just in terms of, we haven’t been a team that’s been to the playoffs, these guys need to experience what some of that’s like,” Donovan said of the Thursday, Saturday, Sunday games against the Heat.

The Bulls last made the playoffs in 2021-22.

“Sometimes it’s hard to make a lot of adjustment, changes. Sometimes, in the playoffs, you have a game, and then there’s two days or three days, sometimes in between your next game, where you can do a little bit more,” Donovan said of the differences between the current scheduling and the actual playoffs. “But I do think the familiarity and what kind of adjustments you can make and how well you can improve from game to game is important.”