Tyler Herro returns, Kel'el Ware shines as shaky Heat survive Mavericks

The Tyler Herro season debut went down tonight in Miami against the Dallas Mavericks.

While Herro returned, Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, and Nikola Jovic were all sidelined with minor injuries. Powell's MRI on his groin came back as a mild strain, meaning they're just being preautionary on a back to back.

Things started off rocky for the Heat in this one, but eventually picked up behind Kel'el Ware and crew. Yet the lack of made threes allowed the Mavs to crawl back into a back and forth clutch game.

So, let's get into some takeaways:

1. The Kel'el Ware dominance and consistency lives on.

Nov 19, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware (7) watches warmups before the game against the Golden State Warriors at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

If you thought 40 points and 30 rebounds through the last two games were impressive for Kel'el Ware, he's making it a point to say he's not done yet. He's finding consistency in his individual play at the moment, as he put together a 10 point and 15 rebound first half against Dallas tonight. The offensive scoring punch has been real, as he's been confident and aggressive both around the rim and beyond the arc. The three ball has looked good, but when he uses that wingspan to his advantage down low, it's a different ball game. Can't forget the two first half blocks as well, since when he's cooking on offense, it bleeds into the in-between stuff in a positive way.

2. Tyler Herro is back.

Nov 24, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) brings the ball up the court as Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) and guard Brandon Williams (10) defend in the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The first stretch for Tyler Herro in his season debut looked like a guy that needed to get acclimated a bit after not playing game speed minutes in many months. The Mavericks were face guarding him out the gate on that three point line, and he was forced to adjust in his next stint. That floater in the lane was being worked time and time again, as his downhill drives usually do lead to an elbow or below launch. Early clock work for him getting downhill in semi-transition will be a staple for him in this offense, as we saw for flashes tonight. But watching this game tonight, you can't help but think about how much things will elevate when Norman Powell gets back.

3. The Miami Heat's bigs are peaking on defense.

Jan 4, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, left, leaps into the air after warming-up with the help of center Kel'el Ware (7) before the game against the Utah Jazz at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

As I mentioned earlier, Ware was great tonight. Not just for the loud numbers, but the defense was extremely impactful around the rim. Swatting shots, deterring dribble penetration, and staying down much more often. But I just have to talk Bam Adebayo for a second. The Mavericks decided to isolate him multiple times in this game, and he shut that down quick. It's not often that Adebayo is tested as a one-on-one defender, but it's definitely fun to watch when it happens. The late steal under a minute to go tonight was the perfect example, as he flipped the game by jumping that inbound pass. The defensive player of the year campaign has been growing with the Victor Wembanyama injury, and it is much deserved with the way he has them playing when he's on the floor.