Lightly-used reserve Kel’el Ware, a 7-foot rookie, tied his career high with 25 points, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked two shots as the host Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 128-107 on Sunday afternoon.
Ware played 34 minutes as he was needed to guard 7-3 Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama, who finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and one block.
Entering Sunday, Ware was averaging just 13.2 minutes and 6.6 points in 25 games, all as a reserve, and he was not used in 15 contests.
Also for Miami, Duncan Robinson scored 21 points; Terry Rozier had 20 points off the bench; and Tyler Herro overcame a slow start to post 18 points. Herro had just two points at halftime.
Jimmy Butler, in his second game back from a seven-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, collected eight points, seven assists and three rebounds in 28 minutes.
Devin Vassell topped the Spurs with 23 points.
San Antonio led 30-20 at the end of the first quarter as Wembanyama had 11 points. For Miami, Herro had his first scoreless first quarter of the season, missing on both of his shot attempts.
In the second period, Wembanyama went scoreless, missing all six of his shots, including three from distance. Miami capitalized, rallying to take a 46-41 halftime lead.
Ware scored nine points in the second quarter, when he was a plus-15. The Spurs shot just 1-for-10 on 3-pointers in that quarter.
The Heat trailed most of the first half, but it was Rozier’s 3-pointer with 3:20 left in the second quarter that gave Miami a 43-41 advantage.
Miami never trailed again.
Herro finally got hot in the third period, making 4 of 5 shots including a 3-pointer as Miami blew the game open, taking a 92-68 lead. Herro and Robinson each had 11 points in the third.
Wembanyama was held to three points in the third period as Miami outshot San Antonio 70.8 percent to 44.0 percent.
In the fourth quarter, the Spurs never got closer than 14 points as Miami snapped a three-game losing streak.
The Spurs have now lost three in a row, and Wembanyama is 0-3 in his brief career against Miami.
