An Adebayo Heat hamstring update. And Spoelstra perspective on Lowry, Robinson, Butler

Bam Adebayo’s hamstring injury, which seemed to limit him at times in the Milwaukee series, has improved, coach Erik Spoelstra said Friday.

He will be ready for Game 1 of the Heat-Knicks series at 1 p.m. Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

“He just got done with a workout,” Spoelstra said. “He feels much better.”

Adebayo played very well late in Game 5 against the Bucks, closing with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

“He played his best in the fourth quarter [on Friday],” Spoelstra said. “He has a way of overcoming everything.”

MORE FROM SPO

▪ Spoelstra appreciates how Kyle Lowry has handled coming off the bench. He had started every game that he appeared in for nearly 10 consecutive seasons before returning March 11 after missing 15 games with knee soreness. He hasn’t started any games since.

“In these situations, when you’re dealing with a highly decorated championship player, you want to approach it with deep respect first and foremost,” Spoelstra said.

“The first decision [to initially have him return off the bench] was an easy one. We were all on the same page. This is what had to be done to control the minutes….

“From there, it’s making sure he was ready physically to perform at a high level in the playoffs. The plan was very well thought out and everyone was on the same page about it and there was constant communication.”

But as time passed, Gabe Vincent has stayed in the starting lineup, and Lowry has played well off the bench.

“As he started to get healthier and able to play more minutes, it was one of those things that we dealt with so much inconsistency [as a team] this year and a lot of moving parts, we would stay with this for the sake of availability and consistency,” Spoelstra said

“He has been great about it. He’s all about winning. He’s playing a massive role. That’s why he is who he is. If you’re all about winning, you will sacrifice when you need to and take on a little bit of a different role if it makes sense for winning. You can always look at it like he’s a sixth starter.”

▪ Spoelstra said he’s “happy” for Duncan Robinson that he has had a chance to play and is thriving in the role. Robinson shot 14 for 19 on three-pointers against Milwaukee.

He spent part of the year out of the rotation and missed more than a month after January surgery on a finger. But he has been needed in the wake of injuries to Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo. Herro remains out for another few weeks. Oladipo is out for the season.

“Things in this league are not always perfect,” Spoelstra said when asked about Robinson. “Sometimes things just have an incredible flow. But that’s not the real NBA and real life. You have to figure out how to embrace things when they are not going perfectly and still find a way to persevere and Duncan has proven that time and time again. He has incredible fortitude.

“When he got back in the rotation, he all of a sudden got hurt. When he came back, he had to stay ready. All of a sudden, something happens and he’s fully in the rotation. If you’re not right or you’re bitter, you can’t capitalize on it when the team needs you. That was not easy to be able to handle it. I am happy for him he’s gotten an opportunity to play and play well in important role for us.”

▪ Butler sometimes takes faraway trips but is able to return and play well immediately.

In between two home games in three days this year, he went to Los Angeles when the Lakers honored Pau Gasol.

He went to Argentina during the All Star break. Spoelstra was asked Friday how long did it take him to get comfortable with Butler’s occasional in-season traveling.

“He’s all about the right things,” Spoelstra said. “...He’s going to always take care of his body. That’s going to be a priority, making sure he’s ready to compete at a high level…

“He wants to have an interesting life. You have to respect that. But he’s all about winning. It didn’t take long to figure out how serious he is about winning and how aligned it is with us. You want young guys coming into this league to model that kind of approach. Anything else you can manage. He can manage things and still be ready.”

▪ Spoelstra had no issue with Udonis Haslem getting a technical foul in Game 5 when Bobby Portis approached the Heat bench.

“UD is still the heart of our team,” Spoelstra said. “I wasn’t going to put him in the game [to escalate the situation]. The league can relax.”

THIS AND THAT

▪ Two of the Heat’s first three games will be on ABC, including Sunday’s opener at 1 p.m.

Game 3 at Kaseya Center on Saturday, May 6 also will be on ABC, with tipoff likely at 3:30 or 8:30 p.m. ABC has two games that day and will put the Heat in one slot and a Western Conference series in the other slot. ABC likely would opt to put the Lakers and Warriors in prime time that day if those teams advance, leaving the Heat for the afternoon.

Game 4 on Monday, May 8 in Miami will start at 7:30 p.m. and be carried by TNT.

Game 2 of the series on Tuesday in New York also will be on TNT, with the time to be announced.

Games 5 and 7 will be on TNT; game six will be on ESPN. Game 7, if needed, would be at 8 p.m. Monday, May 15 at Madison Square Garden.

▪ Celtics star Jayson Tatum, on the Heat beating the Bucks: “I wouldn’t necessarily call it an upset.”