Miami– The Miami Heat only gave Bam Adebayo Wednesday, with the rest of the anticipated starters off.

Adebayo scored 12 points in nine first-quarter minutes and finished with 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists before sitting out the second half of the 107-104 exhibition loss to the Brooklyn Nets at Kaseya Center.

With Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, and Kyle Lowry rested for more important times, Adebayo started with a midrange jumper before giving the floor to others seeking to make the rotation or make the roster for Wednesday’s regular-season opening against the Detroit Pistons.

Haywood Highsmith scored 15 points, including three 3-pointers, Jamal Cain had 14 rebounds, and Dru Smith had 10 assists for Heat Lite.

Highsmith said confidence grows.

“The more reps you get,” he remarked, “the more confidence you’ll get.”

You felt Cain, said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. He tries. He is intense.”

Smith “knows how to fit in,” Spoelstra added. He can arrange our group.”

Another roster hopeful, Cole Swider, scored 15 points late.

A Nets coaching challenge overturned a three-shot Brooklyn foul with 5.9 seconds left, denying the Heat a chance to equalize. A jumpball was called instead.

Wednesday night’s exhibition produced five degrees of heat:

1. The no-goes: 

The Heat prioritize relaxation and recovery this preseason.

No Butler, Lowry, Love, Herro, Caleb Martin, Jaime Jaquez Jr., or R.J. Hampton this time.

Butler, Love, and Lowry supposedly had the night off. Return-to-competition reconditioning kept Butler out of this preseason. After missing last Friday’s exhibition road defeat to the San Antonio Spurs, Love and Lowry were labeled as sitting to give others playing opportunity.

The greatest surprise on the ιnjury report was Herro’s thigh contusion from Tuesday’s practice. Herro should play in the season opener, according to Spoelstra.

Martin (knee), Jaquez (groin), and Hampton (hip) sustained multiple-game injuries.

2. So the starters are:

Using 12 players, the Heat started Adebayo, Highsmith, Cain, Duncan Robinson, and Josh Richardson.

Richardson made his preseason debut at point guard, where he might start or play backup depending on Lowry’s approach.

After 6:45 with an injured right foot, Richardson was asked to leave the trial. 0 for 2 from the field, 1 assist. A painful left foot kept him out of the last two games.

Spoelstra added, “We’ll treat him tomorrow and probably have a better idea in the next couple of days.”

Smith, with seven assists by halftime, replaced Richardson.

3. Stepping up: 

Highsmith scores two early 3-pointers to position himself for rotation.

“He just has great fortitude,” Spoelstra said of Highsmith. “He’s so consistent with his work.”

Due to his improving stock, Highsmith may get more minutes than second-year attacker Nikola Jovic, who entered camp after a good World Cup for Serbia.

Cain gave his bid for a conventional deal a boost with five rebounds in the first five minutes. Cain has a two-way deal.

After center Thomas Bryant and Swider, Jovic and Justin Champagnie joined the Heat as frontcourt players. Bryant replaced Adebayo in the second half, while Orlando Robinson made his nightly debut in the third.

4. Still going:

Spoelstra maintained Wednesday night’s workout was valuable.

Keep forming defensive behaviors, do better. We’re trying, he said. “These things matter regardless of the player.

“It’s a good chance to establish our playstyle. We can develop and analyze our young guys.”

Spoelstra said game days are the only way to mimic them.

“We have to get into that rhythm of how we do a shootaround, film session, and prepare,” he said. “You must develop that skill all year.”

Saturday’s waiver deadline requires the Heat to waive at least one player and perhaps two.

5. What’s next:

The Heat play the Rockets at 8 p.m. Friday to cap their five-game preseason. Teams rarely send rotating players to exhibition finales.