MIAMI — Nikola Jovic has been out of view, but Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Friday that doesn’t mean the third-year big man has been out of mind.

Entering Saturday night’s game against the Phoenix Suns at Kaseya Center, Jovic has been held out six consecutive games, including two due to a sprained left ankle, when he was not with the team for this week’s road losses to the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics.

But the reduction in playing time goes back even further, with just 8:06 of action in the 106-89 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 18 and 5:32 of playing time in the 123-118 overtime victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 24.

The last time there were substantial minutes for the No. 27 pick in the 2022 draft was when he went 31:02 as sixth man in the 119-110 road loss to Indiana Pacers on Nov. 17.

That from a player who started the season’s first eight games at power forward.

“He just has to stay with it,” Spoelstra said when asked after Friday’s practice at Kaseya Center of Jovic’s status. “You know that saying where, ‘You win the day?’ He has to win the day. Every day.

“Is he guaranteed of playing in a game? No, he can’t control that right now. But he can control making me think about it, that for sure.”

Since being shifted to the reserve rotation and then phased out, Jovic has seen minutes in the power rotation instead go to Haywood Highsmith, who has emerged as the Heat’s latest starter at power forward, as well as to Kevin Love and Kel’el Ware, who since has been sent to the G League for the same type of seasoning Jovic received in his first two seasons.

So how does Jovic earn his way back?

“The way to do that is in practice sessions, pre-practice, the approach at shootarounds, everything to be at a high level just to make you watch. And then, eventually, you get your opportunity, you can make me play you,” said Spoelstra, who has maneuvered through several rotation permutations amid this 10-10 start.

“And then if you’re playing, you make me not even think about playing somebody else. And when you’re impacting winning and doing winning things and doing the detailed things with great effort and focus, that usually leads to those.”

Maintaining perspective

Spoelstra cautioned after Friday’s practice not to get too carried away with the magnitude of Wednesday night’s 134-93 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Lakers.

“We have to move on,” Spoelstra said. “That’s something, this basketball team, we’ve been working on, is that consistently, sustain a high level of play. And I think it’s a good exercise for us.

“Hopefully we have a lot more of these type of situations, where we have to manage playing well, and can we do it again? ... We want to build on what we did last game.”

Ware’s debut

Ware closed with 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting, 12 rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals in 27:43 in his G League debut in the Sioux Falls Skyforce’s 102-81 victory Thursday night over the Chicago Bulls’ affiliate, the Windy City Bulls.

By contrast, Ware’s longest action in his 10 appearances with the Heat since being drafted No. 15 in June out of Indiana was 13:35 in the Heat’s 115-112 Nov. 6 road loss to the Suns.

Ware remains with the Skyforce, who next play Sunday, with they host the Denver Nuggets’ affiliate in South Dakota.

Josh Christopher, the other player under contract to the Heat who currently is with the Skyforce, led Sioux Falls in Thursday night’s victory with 30 points. It was the eighth consecutive game of 20 or more points with the Skyforce for Christopher, the guard who is under a two-way contract.

Injury report

Rookie guard Pelle Larsson turned his right ankle late in Friday’s practice and is listed as questionable for Saturday against the Suns.

The only players listed as out are Ware and Christopher on their G League assignments.

Forward Jimmy Butler is listed as probable with the knee soreness that had him out Monday in Boston before his Wednesday return against the Lakers.

Also on the Heat injury report but listed as available are Jovic (ankle), Josh Richardson (heel) and Dru Smith (knee).

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