Kel’el Ware posts strong all-around game off bench

Mar 7, 2026 10:53 AM

Kel’el Ware stepped into an expanded role on Thursday when Bam Adebayo was limited by foul trouble, and the young Miami Heat center responded with another standout performance, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

After posting 11 points, 13 rebounds, and a career-high five steals in just 29 minutes during Tuesday’s lopsided win over Brooklyn, Ware delivered an even stronger showing in Thursday’s rematch.

He finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds while also setting a new career best with seven blocks and matching his career high with five steals across 32 minutes.

Winderman noted that Ware made franchise and league history with his performance. He became the first player in Heat history to produce a 10-10-5-5 stat line and also the first player in NBA history to achieve those numbers coming off the bench.

The 21-year-old is additionally the first player in team history to record at least seven blocks and five steals in a game, a combination not seen league-wide since Josh Smith accomplished the feat in 2007.

“It shows that I’m impacting the game,” Ware said. “And I’m going out there and I’m affecting it – being able to help my team, prove that I can play and be a plus.”

Head coach Erik Spoelstra has been encouraged by Ware’s recent development and activity level. In Friday’s victory over the surging Hornets, Ware added another strong outing with 10 points, four rebounds, four blocks, and a steal.

“I think his teammates are encouraging him to be more aggressive, guard the basket,” Spoelstra said. “He’s getting more alert on situations. I’m encouraged by his last handful of games. He’s doing a lot of things that are impacting the game.”