Caleb Martin had the job of defending Jayson Tatum last night. He couldn’t catch a break from the referees, who whistled him for five fouls in just 11 minutes of playing time. Jimmy Butler was out, so Erik Spoelstra couldn’t play him.
Spoelstra said after the game that Haywood Highsmith played so well, he couldn’t take him out.
NEW: Haywood Highsmith made Erik Spoelstra play him for most of last night's second half. “H played so well, I just couldn’t take him out of the game,” Spoelstra said. https://t.co/ATnbesHXeO Also, the adaptable Max Strus and the Heat continues to win ugly
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) January 25, 2023
Highsmith played strong defense against Tatum, something he also did during the Dec.