The changes were subtle but significant.

The choices were complex but compulsory.

The result was productive and positive.

With two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Miami Heat went into the laboratory out of both desperation and determination.

For at least one night, change was good.

“Look,” coach Erik Spoelstra said after his reformulation, “these are tough decisions and there’s a lot of different things that could work. We just felt at this time, this particular time, that these moves may clean up some things with the rotation.”

So Duncan Robinson out as starter, Max Strus in.

The comebacks of Victor Oladipo and Markieff Morris put on hold in favor of the reliability of Gabe Vincent and more minutes for Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro.

Substitutions made swifter to keep legs fresher.

A four-game losing streak can create desperation. But based on the comments offered in the wake of Monday night’s 123-100 victory over the Sacramento Kings, the reformulation well could endure in Wednesday night’s road game against the Boston Celtics and beyond.

“We made a few tweaks,” Butler said, “and got back to who we are — guarding somebody, playing in the open floor, making shots, sharing the ball with one another. That’s the way the way, that we want to look, and the way we want to play.”

With Oladipo and Morris mostly efficient in the midrange, spacing had grown problematic as Oladipo returned earlier in the month from May quadriceps surgery and Morris earlier in the month from a 58-game absence due to whiplash.

On Monday night at FTX Arena, the Heat operated in space against the Kings and the difference was tangible.

“It corrects a lot of our spacing,” Butler said of the reworked rotation. “It lets everybody know where the ball has to go and where everybody’s supposed to be at on the floor. And it just made everybody so much more comfortable, just because everybody knew where they were going to be, where the ball was going to go, so there was no questions that needed to be asked.”

As is his wont, Spoelstra downplayed any notion of permanence.

“I think we all just have to have empathy and grace for some of these changes, for the guys that didn’t necessarily play [Monday], and an understanding that we have a roster full of proven, capable guys,” he said, as the Heat turn their attention to the three-game trip that continues from Boston for games against the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors.

“And we’re going to need everybody, particularly as we get this final push. And getting into the playoffs, a lot of this is going to be matchup based. But for this particular time, we had to do some things, and we’ll just keep an open mind to what we may need to do moving forward.”

The ancillary moves with Robinson, Strus, Vincent came with priority of creating comfort for Butler, Herro, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry.

“I felt like [Monday] we got our spacing right and we’ve seen that it works,” Adebayo said, “and guys start to believe in that.

“I’m more of a playmaker, so if there’s four guys are in the paint and two of ‘em are our men, we’ve got to force up bad shots and there’s no fluidity to our game. And I’m a big part of that. So having space helps me because I can get guys involved and also assert myself.”

Robinson appeared to adjust without issue, scoring 15 off the bench on 5-of-8 3-point shooting against the Kings.

“The only thing that really changes, maybe, is who I’m playing with. But just still try to be aggressive and do what I do,” he said. “I’m pretty comfortable playing with anybody. At this point in the season, we’re all pretty familiar with each other, so not much of an adjustment, really.”

For one night, what was new made the Heat successful again.

“We finally put some points on the board,” Spoelstra said. “That’s been frustrating for all of us. And we need to continue to get better. But the ball and body movement was better. Less holding. We were moving the ball. Guys were able to play to their strengths. But it was less stagnant, for sure.

“And, again, it’s not an indictment on anybody. Sometimes these things can be chemistry things. Sometimes it’s just the flow of certain guys playing off of each other.”

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