MIAMI – The brutal opening schedule for the Miami Heat?

So far more than under control.

First a competitive loss in Orlando. Then a record-setting blowout victory in Memphis. And then Sunday at Kaseya Center, a 115-107 smackdown of the rival New York Knicks in the home opener.

At 2-1 with the Charlotte Hornets up next at home on Tuesday night, the Heat continue to evolve with their running game even as they play in the absence of sidelined All-Star guard Tyler Herro.

With Norman Powell pacing the starters and Jaime Jaquez Jr. juicing the bench, the Heat held off a late Knicks rally and withstood 37 points from Knicks guard Jalen Brunson.

Powell led the Heat with 29 points, with Heat center Bam Adebayo, on an uneven 5-of-15 shooting night, adding 19 points and 13 rebounds from the first unit.

Off the bench, there were 17 points from Jaquez and 14 from Simone Fontecchio.

The Heat closed with a 31-10 edge in fastbreak points.

Here are five takeaways from Sunday’s night’s game:

Closing time

The Knicks led 27-24 at the end of the opening period, before the Heat moved to a 57-54 halftime lead and 88-81 advantage heading into the fourth.

The Heat then pushed their lead to 15 midway through the fourth quarter, with Powell, from there converting a 3-pointer with 6:09 to play for a 105-87 Heat lead, forcing a Knicks timeout.

Still, there were a few moments that rekindled thoughts of last season’s failed finishes, with a driving Brunson layup with 1:32 to play drawing the Knicks within 110-105.

But that’s when Heat forward Andrew Wiggins stepped up with a dagger 3-pointer.

Either or

The notion of a really big thing with the Heat lineup seemingly will largely remain illusory.

Yes, Adebayo and Kel’el Ware started together for the second consecutive game. But then it got interesting. Ware sat out only 90 seconds in the Heat’s first substitution, before returning in place of Adebayo. Adebayo then entered for Ware with 2:10 left in the first quarter.

The preference remained to play Jaquez or Nikola Jovic alongside one of the Heat big men.

The Heat trended smaller to the degree that 7-footer Vlad Goldin was inactive for the first time this season on his two-way contract.

Plan C

If ever there was a game when Terry Rozier might have gotten a shot, this might have been it.

With Tyler Herro still working back from his September ankle surgery and Kasparas Jakucionis still sidelined by his preseason groin issue, head coach Erik Spoelstra had to get creative when Davion Mitchell was called for his third foul with 5:39 left in the second period.

With Dru Smith seemingly on a minutes restriction in his return from December’s Achilles team, Jaquez then was shifted to point guard.

Rozier remains on indefinite NBA leave following last week’s arrest in a federal gambling probe. He again formally was listed as “not with team.”

Norm!

Powell energized the Heat offense at the outset by converting the Heat’s first two 3-pointers.

He kept going from there with his attacking guile, working his way to the foul line and working the Knicks into foul trouble.

Dual threats

Jaquez and Fontecchio, in their own ways, provided a constant bench boost.

With Jaquez it was constant pressure with his cuts and attacks on the rim.

With Fontecchio, it was his 3-point threat and interior bulk.

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