Young talent shines as the Miami Heat secures another win. Kel'el Ware and the emerging core outplayed the Brooklyn Nets, showcasing remarkable depth and clutch performances.
The Miami Heat have officially won three consecutive games, which last occurred on Feb. 21. After blowing out the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, they followed with a strong 126–110 outing against them again on Thursday night.
Despite missing Norman Powell (right groin strain), Nikola Jovic (lower back), and Simone Fontecchio (left groin strain), the team's offense continued to find a flow.
Key takeaways from the game:
- Heat; Stepping up when it matters most: During the third quarter, Bam Adebayo picked up his fifth foul. Immediately after, coach Erik Spoelstra relied on second-year center Kel'el Ware to take on expanded minutes. The 21-year-old lived up to the challenge, especially on the defensive side of the court.
Ware finished the game with 16 points, 11 rebounds, a new career-high seven blocks, five steals, and an assist in 32 minutes off the bench.
Coach Spoelstra emphasized his "encouragement" of the former first-round selection's performance over a handful of games, with Thursday night possibly being an exclamation point.
- Heat; Next generation taking over: Outside of Adebayo and Tyler Herro, veterans such as Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell struggled offensively. However, the young core of Jaime Jaquez Jr., Pelle Larsson, Kasparas Jakucionis, and Ware were able to carry the extra workload. The players below the age of 26 combined for 61 points, including six three-pointers made.
It's a display of the Heat's depth coming alive, especially without Powell.
- Nets; Bounce-back performance: Coming off a nine-point game on Tuesday, Michael Porter Jr. is never shy of shooting the basketball. In 48 hours, he leaves South Florida on a more positive note. The 27-year-old recorded 27 points on 37.5 percent shooting, 13 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block in 36 minutes.
The Nets are one of the worst teams in the league, but the former Denver Nuggets champion is on pace to finish with a career season.
The Heat improve to a 34-29 record, eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. Despite currently riding a three-game win streak, the Orlando Magic have managed to stay afloat, plus owning the regular-season tiebreaker.
In less than 24 hours, the team will prepare to face the Charlotte Hornets, who are 21-9 since the calendar flipped. They're 16-3 in the last 19 games. Rookie forward Kon Knueppel is having an excellent season, averaging 19.2 points on 48.8 percent shooting, 43.6 percent from three-point range, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 62 games.
The Heat will be battle-tested against the Hornets, who are coming off a 118–89 victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night. Plus, it will be an important matchup given the Play-In Tournament standings.
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