Kel’el Ware Delivers a Career Night, But Heat Fall Short Against Knicks
The Miami Heat may have left Madison Square Garden with a loss on Sunday night, but Kel’el Ware gave fans a glimpse of something special - the kind of performance that makes you stop and say, “Wait… he did what?”
The 21-year-old big man turned in the best game of his young NBA career, dropping 28 points and pulling down 19 rebounds while shooting a scorching 11-of-15 from the field - including a red-hot 5-of-7 from deep. Even after a postgame stat adjustment knocked his rebound total down by one, Ware still etched his name into the record books.
He became the first player in Heat history to post at least 28 points, 19 boards, and five made threes in a single game - a stat line that’s only been recorded eight times in league history. And no one’s done it more than once.
To make it even more impressive? He did it while going head-to-head with Karl-Anthony Towns - the last player to hit those same statistical benchmarks. That’s not just a big night; that’s a statement.
Ware’s performance wasn’t a one-off, either. It capped a three-game stretch where he’s been playing like a man on a mission, averaging 24.7 points and 15.0 rebounds while hitting 11 of his last 14 three-point attempts. That’s not just growth - that’s a leap.
Through 29 games this season, Ware is averaging 12.5 points and 10.7 rebounds on a blistering 66.1 percent true shooting. He leads the Heat with 12 double-doubles - already closing in on the 15 he recorded across 64 games as a rookie - and ranks 12th in the NBA in that category. He’s now strung together three straight games with at least 20 points and 12 rebounds, and it’s clear the game is starting to slow down for him.
What’s really catching eyes, though, is the shooting stroke. Ware is knocking down 45.6 percent of his threes this season - the highest mark among all eligible centers in the league.
Against the Knicks, he showed off that range early and often, helping Miami open the game by hitting six of their first eight from beyond the arc. But he wasn’t just floating around the perimeter - Ware was still doing damage inside, cleaning up the glass for putbacks and finishing lobs with authority.
He had 14 points and nine boards by halftime, setting the tone on both ends.
His recent surge has come with an uptick in minutes, too. After being eased into the season, playing fewer than 30 minutes in each of his first eight games, Ware has averaged 31 minutes over his last three. He logged a season-high 35 minutes against New York - and he made every one of them count.
Still, as good as Ware was, the Heat couldn’t contain the Knicks’ firepower. New York shot a blistering 20-of-38 from three, with Jalen Brunson erupting for 47 points and Mikal Bridges adding 24. Miami made a late push - a Ware triple followed by Jaime Jaquez Jr. free throws cut the deficit to just two at 120-118 - but the rally fell short down the stretch.
Now, the Heat head back to South Beach, looking to regroup as they host the Toronto Raptors Tuesday night at Kaseya Center. But one thing’s clear: Kel’el Ware is no longer just a promising young piece - he’s becoming a real problem for opposing defenses.