Apparently, Gabe Vincent has been doing point guard things even when he is not on the court. So credit him with another assist, Miami Heat teammate Max Strus said, when it comes to keeping Strus on his toes.

Among the reasons Strus said he has been able to thrive recently in uneven minutes has been pep talks from Vincent, who has been dealing with his own erratic playing time.

“To be honest with you,” Strus said, “it’s more of a mental challenge, more than anything. You just got to sit and wait and make sure you’re locked in on the game and know what’s going on. I credit Gabe for a lot of that. He’s helped me out tremendously.”

With both having begun their Heat tenures on two-way contracts, the climb into the rotation (and sometimes out of the rotation) has made it a shared experience.

“We’ve helped each other a lot over the past two years, to always be ready for whatever is going to happen, because we’re been put in some situations where we didn’t expect to be in,” Strus said, with the Heat hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night at FTX Arena, at the end of a seven-game homestand. “So we’ve kind of helped each other out.

“And we’re alike like that, because we really want it and we really want to be here.”

Lately the uncertainly has included where the rotation will head with coach Erik Spoelstra working Victor Oladipo back into the mix, with this Oladipo’s second week back from May quadriceps surgery.

That, however, was not a factor in play Friday, with Oladipo ruled out due to lower-back spasms, his first injury absence since his return. But it will remain an element in play.

“I mean it’s challenging,” Strus said. “I wouldn’t say it’s hard. I was preparing myself for it. Vic’s a two-time All-Star, been in the league for a while, so he has every right to play, and he’s a very talented player. So obviously we knew we were going to try things.

“And being in Spo’s shoes right now, it’d be tough. We got a lot of guys that can play and help each night. So whatever he says goes, and that’s what I’m going to keep playing by. He’s going to put us in the best opportunity to succeed.”

Center Bam Adebayo said he has been taken by Strus’ approach.

“That right there,” Adebayo said, “is the picture painted for be ready, so you don’t got to get ready.”

Not worried

While many are pointing to his limited shot totals in recent games, Heat point guard Kyle Lowry considers it all outside noise.

“I’m going to do what I need to do to win the game. Whatever that means,” he said. “If it’s shoot more, pass more, I’m going to do what it takes. Of course, it’s probably going to involve shooting a lot more and being more assertive and aggressive [in the playoffs].

“But me, personally, I just let the game dictate what I’m going to do. When it comes down to trying to get to that end goal, you have to have everybody firing on all cylinders and being aggressive.”

A 3-for-all

Despite coming up short in a 125-89 blowout loss to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers that all but extinguishes its G League playoff chances, the Heat’s affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, got a record-breaking night from journeyman NBA guard Mychal Mulder on Thursday night, when he shot 11 of 17 on 3-pointers.

Mulder recently returned to the Heat affiliate, after time with the Golden State Warriors and Orlando Magic.

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