Plenty of Miami Heat playoff records were in danger of dropping Sunday night, starting with the franchise’s highest scoring postseason quarter of 41 points to start things off against the Charlotte Hornets. It was followed by a 67-point half and another first-time high of 123 total points in a playoff game. But the most unexpected record to fall was the most points in a Heat postseason debut.

Now 31 points does not seem like enough to blow someone away in today’s NBA, but when you see that the performance came from Luol Deng, you may have to take a second look.

Sure his personal playoff scoring best (33 points) came against the organization that he now suits up for, but that was considered as Deng in his prime in Chicago. Not only has he been written off as a capable scorer since then, but he was considered at the end of his career, dating back to two and a half years ago when he was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

He spent one year there and one and a half in Miami being misused as a LeBron James replacement.

Casual stat watchers will point out that Deng’s scoring (12.3) is actually down this year. Diehard fans of the sport will tell you that after losing Chris Bosh at All-Star break, the small forward’s game has been rejuvenated.

For starters, Deng’s move to power forward freed him up to be more aggressive with his slashing and cuts instead of being relegated to standing at the three-point line. Now there is a mix of both, something that most big men are not used to having to contend with. The move has also allowed him to secure his highest rebounding totals (6.0) since the 2013-14 season.

Call it timing or his career’s second wind, but 31 points and seven rebounds on 11-of-13 shooting and 4-of-6 from the three — in his first playoff game in three years — almost guarantees that Justise Winslow is not poised to snatch his spot on the team yet.

In the words of Deion Sanders, “pay the man” at least for one more year.