Miami Heat's Kendrick Nunn fills void after Jimmy Butler injury in Game 4

During the regular season, Miami Heat guard Kendrick Nunn started 67 games.

So the feeling was somewhat different. Nunn came off the bench in the Heat's series-clinching victory Tuesday against the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. After not playing in the first three games of the series, Nunn finished with seven points, three rebounds and two assists in his playoff debut.

"My first time not playing, coming off bench," Nunn said. "I learned a lot. You just got to stay mentally focused. Stay ready. That's what it's all about. I'm built different."

Nunn found himself out of the rotation at the start of the postseason because of uncontrollable circumstances. He missed the first two weeks of the NBA restart after testing positive for COVID-19. After a short return, Nunn was forced to leave the bubble because of a personal matter.

He finally received an opportunity when forward Jimmy Butler missed the second quarter because of a shoulder injury. Nunn, who averaged 15.3 points, 3.3 assists and 2.7 rebounds, shook off the rust by hitting an early 3-pointer. The Heat also refuted a TNT report that claimed he lost playing time due to conditioning issues.

"It was so great to see that, to see everybody's response to him getting in there," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We knew that it was a matter of time before he was going to have some sort of opportunity to get in there, whether it was foul trouble or somebody having an injury. He's been putting in the time. These are unfortunate situations. Sometimes, things aren't fair but he kept himself ready. You could see how he really helps our basketball team."

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