The Miami Heat came away with a hard-fought 106-102 victory against the Dallas Mavericks on the night of Tyler Herro’s long-awaited return to the court. With Herro back in the rotation, the Heat looked like a significantly more formidable unit.
Monday night’s game presented its own set of challenges for the Miami Heat. Although they were facing one of the weakest teams in the Western Conference, Miami seemed to struggle without some of its key players. Despite shooting poorly from beyond the arc (5-for-27), however, the Heat managed to stand their ground.
A dominant display in the first half was followed by some careless possessions in the second, allowing the Mavericks to close the gap. However, given that tough defense has become this team’s identity, the Heat succeeded in holding off Dallas’ comeback attempt.
With another win in the books, the Heat improve to 11-6 on the season. With some solid performances paving the way to the victory, we grade each player who stepped on the court for the Heat on Monday night.
Tyler Herro: A+
Game Stats: 24 PTS, 7 REB, 0 AST, 3 STL, 0 BLK 12-18 FG, 29 MIN
Tyler Herro was the driving force behind Miami’s offense on Monday night. After missing over a month of regular-season action due to recovery from surgery, Herro not only kept pace with his team but also successfully urged them forward.
With 24 points and seven rebounds, the Heat star delivered timely buckets at crucial junctures to help Miami retain its lead. Given how vital his role has been with the Heat, it appears that his return will help them assert their presence in the East this season.
Kel’el Ware: A+
Game Stats: 20 PTS, 18 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 3 BLK, 7-14 FG, 3-5 3PT, 3-3 FT, 34 MIN
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has repeatedly criticized Kel’el Ware for his inconsistent performances. On Monday night, however, Ware dominated against the Mavericks. After establishing his presence early in the game, Ware ensured that his impact was felt on both ends of the floor.
With 20 points and 18 rebounds, featuring an impressive six offensive rebounds, the Heat big man played a crucial role in keeping the Mavericks’ comeback attempts in check. Although he had three turnovers, his +/- of +15 emphasized how valuable he was.
Bam Adebayo: A
Game Stats: 17 PTS, 6 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 5-13 FG, 7-11 FT, 29 MIN
Bam Adebayo is another player who is finding his groove after missing time due to injury. Although the Heat star wasn’t as impactful against the Mavericks, he played a key role in helping the team secure the victory on Monday night.
Although he had a slow start, Adebayo was a disruptive presence on the defensive end. While forcing the Mavericks to take bad shots, the forward helped Miami establish an offensive rhythm. After he found his own scoring groove, he contributed with timely scoring, notching 17 points on 5-for-13 shooting from the field.
Jaime Jaquez Jr.: B+
Game Stats: 13 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK 5-11 FG, 3-4 FT, 33 MIN
Jaime Jaquez Jr. has seen a resurgence this season. With key players such as Andrew Wiggins and Norman Powell out of the rotation on Monday night, Spoelstra looked to Jaquez to contribute. By adding 13 points, seven rebounds, and five assists to the winning effort, the third-year forward proved his worth.
Although his influence on the game was inconsistent, it is fair to say that he had an impact. Given how limited the bench scoring was, Jaquez stepping up played a significant role in keeping the Heat in front in the second half.
Pelle Larsson: C+
Game Stats: 9 PTS, 2 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 4-10 FG, 0-1 FT, 28 MIN
Pelle Larsson was identified as one of the Heat’s young players who would have a bigger role to play in the 2025-26 season. While Spoelstra noted Larsson’s ability to score, the Swedish guard had a tough time on the offensive end against the Mavericks. With nine points, two rebounds, and five assists on 4-for-10 shooting from the field, Larsson wasn’t impressive. However, his contributions on the defensive end made up for his limited scoring.
Davion Mitchell: C+
Game Stats: 8 PTS, 3 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL, 0 BLK, 4-8 FG, 32 MIN
Davion Mitchell didn’t have a noteworthy performance in the stat sheet, posting only eight points, three rebounds, and four assists for the game. Given that he played a more passive role on offense, primarily playing as a playmaker and primary ball-handler, these figures are understandable. However, he managed to make an impact (+17), with notable contributions on the defensive end, as well as other intangibles.
Simone Fontecchio: C
Game Stats: 8 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 2-10 FG, 4-4 FT, 21 MIN
Simone Fontecchio has carved out a place for himself in the Heat rotation as a valuable role player. While he has largely succeeded in fulfilling his role, the Italian forward struggled against the Mavericks. On a poor shooting night, Fontecchio only managed to score eight points on 2-for-10 shooting, failing to scratch from beyond the arc. When additionally factoring in some costly turnovers he made, a grade of C seems justified.
Keshad Johnson: C-
Game Stats: 7 PTS, 3 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 3-4 FG, 1-2 3PT, 18 MIN
Keshad Johnson was among the few players on the floor who managed to score from beyond the arc on Monday night for the Heat. While this could be noteworthy, with seven points and three rebounds on the night, Johnson was far from being an impactful presence on the floor. With a +/- of -2, he hardly influenced the flow of the game.
Dru Smith: D
Game Stats: 0 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 0-6 FG, 16 MIN
Dru Smith was objectively the least impactful player on the floor for the Miami Heat on Monday night. Although the guard has earned his spot in the rotation, he, like many of his teammates, struggled to get going offensively, notching zero points on the night. Although he managed to get on the board with three rebounds, a steal, and a block, his +/- of -15 indicates that he wasn’t a productive presence on the floor for Miami.
