MIAMI – As Jimmy Butler is playing with the Miami Heat, he was not the focus of the team's win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, 128-107. While the Heat still deals with the drama involving Butler, they get a much-needed win over the Spurs which snaps a three-game skid as the focus was Erik Spoelstra using Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware together leading to enormous success.
Butler would finish with eight points on three for-seven shooting from the field to go along with seven assists and three rebounds. Ware would lead the team with 25 points on nine of 18 shooting from the field with seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a +27 on the floor. Adebayo ended the game with six points but also had 11 rebounds, five assists, and a +19 on the floor.
As for Terry Rozier, he would have 20 points with four assists, Nikola Jovic had 14 points, and Duncan Robinson led all starters with 21 points, shooting eight of 12 from the field and five of seven from deep.
Here are three takeaways from the Heat's win over the Spurs:
Jimmy Butler starts, but Heat make lineup change that turned the tides
Just like in Friday night's loss to Denver, the basketball world is watching to see how Butler comes out to play and if there will be any noticeable effort changes. However, Butler would start the game once again and has proved that he will come in and do his job until he is dealt whether it be by the Feb. 6 trade deadline or by the end of the season.
He would get on the board early after a possession where he played effective defense and even drew a foul on the Spurs' sensation Victor Wembanyama. Would be a modest first half for Butler as he scored six points shooting two of six from the field as he led early in the contest while the rest of the team had shooting struggles.
By the end of the first quarter, the Heat trailed 30-20 as they shot 35 percent (nine of 25) and missed all five three-point attempts as it was just Butler and Duncan Robinson who led the group with two field goals.
Surprisingly, there might have been a bigger storyline in the first half than the drama between the Heat and Butler and it involves first-round rookie Kel'el Ware. Fans for a long time have been envisioning Ware to play alongside Bam Adebayo, moving the latter to the power forward spot.
Erik Spoelstra would pull the trigger for the first time early in the game to play the two alongside each other and San Antonio's double-digit lead dwindled fast as the Heat finished the half on a 14-2 run. Though he wouldn't face Wembanyama the whole time, Ware was impressive as he led the team at half with 11 points on making four of nine shots from the field. It certainly felt like a turning point.
Heat handle business in second half against the Spurs
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To continue on with the lineup change, Spoelstra would trot out Ware to start the second half along with Adebayo, Butler, Robinson, and Herro. It led to nothing but exceptional play from Miami as when Ware eventually was subbed out by Nikola Jovic, the Heat outscored the Spurs 36-13 when the rookie big-man and Adebayo were on the floor together.
By the end of the third period, the Heat had also made more shots from the beyond the arc in the 12 minutes than in the entire first half. They were four of 13 from that range through the first two periods, but were already 10 of 21 at the end of the third as both Robinson and Jovic contributed in a huge way.
The fourth quarter would see the Heat finish off the Spurs as they kept their momentum as they maintained Wembanyama and the opposing team for the most part. While there were many aspects that led to Miami's victory, there is no doubt that Ware's inclusion was a major part as he was a huge part along with Rozier in having the season's highest bench point total at 73.
Will Bam Adebayo, Kel'el Ware be permanent for Heat?
As said before, ever since the team drafted the big-man, there were questions of how the Heat would look like with Ware and Adebayo on the same floor. While it took almost half of the season and some slight glimpses, Spoelstra spoke about the possible lineup change before the matchup against San Antonio which could've been a sign of things to come.
“It's such a small sample size…But obviously they're both dynamic defensive players,” Spoelstra said. “It gives us more versatility, more ability to make things tough. You know, I think we're at a point that I'll start to do that if I feel like it'll it'll help in those end of quarter situations.”
Judging by how much the two on the floor impacted the game, one shouldn't be surprised if they see this pairing once again on the floor in the foreseeable future. The Heat next face the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.
