Heat's Haywood Highsmith: Sees increased playing time

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Highsmith contributed 19 points (7-8 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 3-3 FT), seven rebounds and two steals over 31 minutes during Wednesday's 115-112 loss to the Suns.

Highsmith played two and eight minutes in his last two appearances, respectively, but emerged as a key contributor in Wednesday's loss. He replaced Nikola Jovic in the Heat starting lineup coming out of halftime and set a season high in points. Jovic finished the game with just five minutes played, but it doesn't appear he sustained an injury during the contest. If that's the case, Wednesday's contest could be the start of Highsmith's push for a more secure role. The 27-year-old has appeared in five of seven games for Miami after averaging 20.7 minutes per game in the regular season during 2023-24.