McRoberts working against clock for playoff rotation

Josh McRoberts has lived on the edge of the Miami Heat's rotation for two seasons when healthy. Yet every step taken with the versatile power forward seemingly is accompanied by something less than an endorsement.

Saturday's 16 1/2 minutes in the 110-93 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers that closed out a 1-2 trip was no different.

"I like what J-Mac brings," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We always become a smarter team when he's out there. But I don't think his minutes were indicative of anything."

The pattern this season has been for Spoelstra to offer such opportunities, praise McRoberts, and then revert to McRoberts-less lineups.

"He brings his passing. And we're a little bit bigger, obviously, when we do that," Spoelstra said. "We wanted to go a little bit deeper into the rotation."

The Heat went nine deep with Saturday's game still in the balance, one more than Spoelstra recent has been utilizing, but it also came in the absence of guard Dwyane Wade, who has missed the past two games with neck and back soreness. Still, McRoberts wound uop playing nearly eight minutes more than stating center Amar'e Stoudemire.

"Obviously, you want to play in every game," said McRoberts, who was held out of the first two games on the trip. "'I'm professional. I'm here to be ready when my number's called."

McRoberts converted a pair of 3-pointers against the Trail Blazers, the only Heat player with more than one.

Asked if he attempts such shots to space the floor, McRoberts said, "I take 'em just to get three points. I don't know."

With just six games remaining in the regular season, time is growing short to make an impression for Spoelstra's playoff rotation.

"I don't really think about it like that," McRoberts said. "I just try to be ready and try to stay ready, and try to perform as well as I can."