Q: Do the Heat have tiebreakers over Bucks and Sixers? If so, I thought I heard they would lose tiebreaker if those three teams finished in a tie. How is that possible? — Jeffrey, Miami.

A: It is true, and they would. While the Heat split their four-game season series with both the 76ers and Bucks, Milwaukee and Philadelphia only played a three-game season series, with the Bucks winning that series 2-1 after Tuesday night’s victory. So in the aggregate three-way tie, the Bucks are 4-3, the Heat 4-4 and the 76ers 3-4. As far as head-to-head, because the Heat went 2-2 against both the Bucks and 76ers, the next tiebreaker is conference record, where the Heat hold a slight edge there. To the Heat’s advantage, their remaining five games all are against East opponents, allowing them to further solidify that conference-tiebreaker edge. The Heat also are hurt in any multiple team-tiebreaker with the Celtics, having lost that season series 2-1. Meanwhile, the Celtics are up 2-1 in their season series against the Bucks, with one game to play, while Boston closed 2-2 against Philadelphia. So, in a three-way Heat-Bucks-76ers tie, it goes to the Bucks. In a three-way Heat-Celtics-76ers tie, it goes to the Celtics. And in a three-way Heat-Celtics-Bucks series, the Celtics would be over the Heat. And for a four-way tie, that 1-2 against the Celtics does not bode well for the Heat, either.

Q: Moving Max Strus ahead of Duncan Robinson was a necessary move. Strus’ defense was a big reason for Wednesday night’s win. He can play against any team, while Robinson has trouble defending long athletic teams such as Toronto, Brooklyn Philadelphia, and others. – Chuck, Naples.

A: Look, there is no way anyone can question anything about Max Strus’ defense after that fourth quarter in Boston. But I still wonder whether Max would have been in the game at that moment had Caleb Martin been available. So until Caleb makes it back from his latest calf issue, we still can’t be certain of the Heat’s ultimate end game. As good as Max’s defense was at the close in Boston, Caleb’s defense is a cut above. The question, though, becomes whether Caleb can be equally efficient spacing the floor. It would be helpful to get a read on those possibilities in these final five regular-season games before the playoffs.

Q: Does Duncan Robinson’s demotion to the second team validate the argument that we overpaid for him? — Ray, Deerfield Beach.

A: First, Erik Spoelstra would bristle at the notion of terming Duncan Robinson’s shift to the second team as a demotion. Of course, that’s what coaches say. To your point, the player the Heat awarded a five-year, $90 million contract to was certainly a different, more efficient version of Duncan. That player merited the contract, based on the market. This version? Not so much. But perhaps it is best to revisit this after the playoffs, when a few timely 3-pointers could again change perceptions.

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