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Heat’s Erik Spoelstra details ‘encouraging’ Kel’el Ware start in win vs. Nets
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- Heat’s Erik Spoelstra details ‘encouraging’ Kel’el Ware start in win vs. Nets
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Heat's Erik Spoelstra details 'encouraging' Kel'el Ware start in win vs. Nets appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
As the Miami Heat snapped its five-game losing streak in the 106-95 win over the Brooklyn Nets , there was a bevy of contributions that led to the much-needed win. Besides Heat star Norman Powell leading the team against the Nets , there was also a standout outing from Kel'el Ware, garnering the attention of head coach Erik Spoelstra .
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Getting the start on Thursday night, it was the 11th time Ware was featured in the frontcourt alongside Bam Adebayo , a duo that looks to improve after a slow start to the season. Ware came up huge against the Nets, especially on a night that Adebayo was in foul trouble and the shots weren't falling, making eight points on four of 13 shooting from the field, though he collected 17 rebounds.
Ware would score 22 points, 10 in the fourth quarter, to go along with 12 rebounds and four blocks, making a huge impact on both sides of the floor, with Spoelstra saying how he was "encouraged" by the outing.
"Well, there was an attention to detail, the competitive spirit tonight. And sometimes, you know, with that group, that's what it has to be if we play bigger," Spoelstra said. "Sometimes it's just getting your head under the rim and being in position, you know, to have those put-backs and lobs."
"[Wiggins] got him up for a lob in the first half, he's gotten a lot better getting into open spaces, making those extra efforts in on the glass, and then being more detailed and consistent with his effort in pick and roll basketball, which obviously is a big thing in this league. But everybody was encouraged by the game that he had tonight," Spoelstra continued.
Heat's Kel'el Ware closed out the win vs. the Nets in an impactful way
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While Spoelstra has challenged the Heat pairing of Ware and Adebayo , Thursday was a step in the right direction, especially from the 21-year-old center who was Miami's first-round pick in 2024. Ware was playing so well that Spoelstra kept him in to finish out the game while keeping Adebayo on the bench with him in four trouble and the team leading by double-digits.
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"I was going to bring Bam back," Spoelstra said. "But once we got it to double digits, then I thought we were going to be able to pull away. We were never able to get it to 15, but I thought Kel'el [Ware] was playing well. And Bam felt that it was good too for Kel'el to have that opportunity to finish a game where there's a little bit of context to it. So I think that's all really important for his growth and improvement."
As for Ware, he would say that he thought his performance was impactful, but didn't want to make a bigger deal out of it, as he looks to keep it going.
"I feel like I played good. I feel like I did good to close out that win," Ware said. "We've been through this during the season for a longer stretch of games. So I feel like it wasn't that big of a thing I did."
Ware and Miami look to keep it going as the team is 15-12, with them next facing the Boston Celtics on Friday night.
Related: Nets' Jordi Fernandez has interesting take on officiating during loss to Heat
Related: Heat's Bam Adebayo, Erik Spoelstra unveil secret to snapping five-game losing streak
