There was nothing conventional about this for the Miami Heat, nothing by the book.

Not with Jimmy Butler lost for the second half with an ankle sprain, not with a 14-point third-period lead wiped out by allowing a 19-0 run to end that quarter, not with a player who sat the first 32 minutes emerging as hero.

OK, perhaps there was one standard element, with Tyler Herro keeping it all afloat before the Heat emerged with a 105-98 victory Tuesday night over the Detroit Pistons at FTX Arena.

Against the third-worst team in the NBA, the Heat had to do it the hard way, even with Rookie of the Year contender Cade Cunningham sidelined for the Pistons.

So Max Strus, out of the mix to until the closing minutes of the third quarter, scored 13 consecutive points at the start of the fourth quarter to restore order, with Erik Spoelstra’s team then grinding to the finish.

“It’s as simple as whatever it takes to win,” Strus said. “I just wanted to do whatever I could.”

Herro led the Heat with 29 points, with Strus scoring 16 and Duncan Robinson 12, on a night Bam Adebayo played in foul trouble, but still came through with 16 points and eight rebounds.

“Without Jimmy, with Bam in foul trouble, we just had to find a way,” Herro said.

Five Degrees of Heat from Tuesday’s game:

1. Closing time: The Heat led 57-51 at halftime, went up 14 early in the third quarter, but trailed 73-68 going into the fourth, after the Pistons closed the third on a 19-0 run.

The Heat did not score in the final 6:56 of the third, with the 19-0 the longest scoring run against the Heat this season.

Strus, who did not enter until 3:52 remained in the third, then scored 13 points in the first 3:12 of the fourth to put the Heat back in front.

Strus then made it 16 fourth-quarter points with a 3-pointer with 4:33 left that put the Heat up 92-89.

“That hasn’t been the first time, and probably won’t be the last,” Strus said of being asked to step up on a moment’s notice.

From there, a Herro 3-pointer with 1:57 left gave the Heat a 99-94 advantage, effectively ending it.

“Max,” Herro said, “he stays ready no matter what.”

So did Adebayo, who had eight points and four rebounds in the fourth.

“I feel like the fourth quarter is what really matters,” Adebayo said.

2. Ankle issue: Butler landed awkwardly midway through the second period, after falling to 2 of 6 from the field, with two of his next three shots wayward 3-pointers that dropped him to 2 of 9.

He played to the close of the first half, but then was replaced at the start of the second half by Gabe Vincent, listed as out with a sprained right ankle.

“He tweaked his ankle,” Spoelstra said, “and we’ll see how he feels [Wednesday].”

Having missed two of the previous six games with an irritated left big toe, Butler could wind up needing more than the two days off that precede the Heat’s next game, on Friday night against the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder.

This time, Strus was ready when called.

“I knew when Jimmy went down at halftime,” Strus said, “that someone was going to have to step up.

“To be honest I didn’t think I was going to play tonight, at all.”

3. Seconding the notion: Herro made it eight consecutive games with at least 12 second-quarter points.

This time Herro scored 17 in the second to stand with 20 at the intermission, in a period the Heat scored 28.

“The second quarter,” Herro said, “I have a little time, when my unit is on the court.”

Herro was 4 of 7 from the field, 2 of 4 on 3-pointers and 7 of 9 from the line in the second.

“Tyler can create things out of nothing,” Spoelstra said. “It was really important, even there at the end.”

4. Rotation alteration: With this the first game Victor Oladipo and Markieff Morris have played together as Heat teammates, Spoelstra again adjusted his rotation.

After the typical initial substitution of Herro and Dewayne Dedmon, Spoelstra inserted Oladipo and Morris together midway through the opening period, with Butler remaining on the court with that quartet.

Spoelstra then cycled back to his starters.

The situation remains fluid, with Caleb Martin again out Tuesday with a hyperextended left knee.

Oladipo played 16:18, closing with two points. Morris played 16:31, with nine points, four rebounds.

“That’s just the most important thing, is just continuing to get out there, get a in a better feel, a better rhythm.

“Those minutes are really important. They both had really good minutes.”

5. Familiar replacement: With Cunningham not available for the Pistons due to a non-COVID illness, former Heat guard Rodney McGruder started in his place.

It was the second start of the season for McGruder, 30, who was traded by the Pistons to the Denver Nuggets earlier this season, only to see that trade rescinded when Bol Bol failed his Detroit physical.

The Piston entered 1-13 in the absence of Cunningham, who had been listed as questionable until 90 minutes before tipoff.

“He started feeling bad last night,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. “Came to shootaround looking like death, eating crackers.”

McGruder finished with eight points.