Heat Fall to Celtics as Kel’el Ware’s Struggles Come Into Focus
The Miami Heat dropped a 119-114 decision to the Boston Celtics on Thursday night, but the final score doesn’t quite tell the full story. For three quarters, Miami looked like a team capable of stealing one on the road. But when the fourth quarter hit, the wheels came off - and the Celtics took full advantage.
Offensively, the Heat starters showed up. Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Norman Powell, and Andrew Wiggins combined for 86 points, with Pelle Larsson chipping in seven in a rare start.
For most of the night, Miami’s core guys did enough to keep things competitive. But in crunch time, the execution faded, the offense stalled, and the Celtics closed like a team that knows how to win late.
Yet the biggest storyline wasn’t about who did play - it was who didn’t.
Second-year big man Kel’el Ware logged fewer than 10 minutes, scored just three points on 1-of-5 shooting, and watched the entire second half from the bench. After the game, head coach Erik Spoelstra didn’t sugarcoat his decision.
“It was a tough matchup for him in Boston with all the coverages, and the same thing tonight,” Spoelstra said. “He just has to stay ready.
Look, with Kel’el, I know that’s a lightning-rod topic. He needs to get back to where he was eight weeks ago, seven weeks ago, where I felt and everybody in the building felt, he was stacking days, good days.
He’s stacking days in the wrong direction now.”
That’s a strong message from a coach who’s known for demanding consistency and effort, especially from young players trying to carve out a role. And to be fair, Ware had been trending in the right direction earlier this season.
His numbers are up across the board from his rookie year - 11.7 points per game, 41.9% from three, 81.5% from the line, and nearly 10 rebounds a night. He’s also averaging 24 minutes per game, a clear sign that Spoelstra had been giving him opportunities.
But Thursday night wasn’t one of those nights.
Ware’s limited minutes weren’t just about missing shots. It was about matchups, effort, and the little things that don’t always show up in the box score.
Spoelstra pointed to Ware’s recent habits - or lack thereof - as the main reason for the benching. In other words, it’s not just about talent.
It’s about preparation, focus, and stacking those “good days” Spoelstra keeps talking about.
And that’s where Udonis Haslem, the longtime Heat culture standard-bearer, chimed in.
Speaking on Prime Video’s postgame set, Haslem offered a candid take on Ware’s situation - and on what it takes to earn minutes in a competitive environment like Miami.
“What I will say about Kel’el and any young basketball player is that there’s going to be so many things that are out of your control,” Haslem said. “But if you step out on the basketball court and you’re playing in a situation where you’re frustrated, where you’re not enjoying the game, where you’re not playing with joy, you’re not playing your minutes hard, you’re not giving that effort and energy - then you allow everything that those coaches or whoever said to be right.”
That’s not a shot - it’s a challenge. Haslem knows what it takes to survive in this league, especially in Miami, where effort and consistency are non-negotiables.
His message to Ware was clear: control what you can control. Play your minutes like they matter, because they do.
From a coaching standpoint, Spoelstra is asking for the same thing. He’s not writing Ware off - far from it.
But he’s also not handing out minutes based on potential. Ware’s advanced numbers tell part of the story: the Heat have been outscored by 3.2 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor.
That’s not a death sentence for a young big, but it does highlight the need for growth - especially on the defensive end.
The good news? Ware still has time, and the tools, to turn it around.
The jump in production from year one to year two is real. The shooting touch is there.
The size and rebounding are there. What’s missing is the nightly impact - the kind that forces a coach to keep you on the floor, even in tough matchups.
Spoelstra’s message was pointed, but it wasn’t final. If Ware can get back to stacking those good days, the minutes - and the trust - will follow.
In Miami, that’s how it works. And everyone in that locker room knows it.