Tyler Herro sits, Kel'el Ware starts and Heat stumble in 116-107 loss to Blazers

Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun-Sentinel on Jan 21, 2025

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MIAMI — A new challenge. A new lineup. A new distraction.

Add it all up and it turned into a new definition of disappointment as the Miami Heat opened the second half of their season with a 116-107 loss Tuesday night to the Portland Trail Blazers at Kaseya Center, down at one point by 27.

With Tyler Herro sidelined for the first time this season, the challenge was finding another leading man. There wasn’t any for Erik Spoelstra’s team, at least nothing close to anything similar to Herro in regards to putting pressure on the opposing defense.

With Kel’el Ware getting his first NBA start, the expectation might have been of a power play. Instead, the Blazers largely were able to control the game both inside and outside.

And with Jimmy Butler in the mix, it got even more convoluted, with pregame reports of a potential trade of the disgruntled Heat star moving closer to resolution.

So the hope created by Sunday’s blowout of Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs was replaced by the reality of being able to lose to a team that entered 14-28 — leaving Spoelstra’s team at 21-21.

In the absence of Herro, Terry Rozier was inserted into the starting lineup and responded with nine points on 4-of-13 shooting.

For his part, Ware, the 7-footer taken out of Indiana at No. 15 in last June’s NBA draft, again was active, closing with 20 points and 15 rebounds, but complemented in the power rotation only by 12 points and 10 rebounds from Bam Adebayo.

As for Butler, 13 points and eight assists, but nothing close to what was needed in the absence of Herro.

The Heat also got 22 points from Duncan Robinson.

Five Degrees of Heat from Tuesday night’s game:

— 1. Game flow: The Heat led 38-34 at the end of the opening period, with the Blazers then moving to a 61-55 lead at halftime, after the Heat shot 0 for 12 on 3-pointers in the second period. Portland did not have a first-half turnover, the first team to do so this season.

The Heat’s 3-point drought reached 19 consecutive misses before Ware converted with 3:13 to play in the third quarter, after the Blazers had moved ahead by 27.

Spoelstra’s search for answers reached the point of subbing in Pelle Larsson late in the third period.

Through it all, the Heat managed to close within 110-101 on a Larsson three-point play with 3:12 to play. From there, a pair of Jaime Jaquez free throws trimmed the deficit to 110-103 with 2:51 remaining.

But that’s where the too-little, too-late rally fizzled.

— 2. No Herro: Amid a season that has him in consideration for his first All-Star berth, Herro was sidelined by groin soreness.

It was his first missed game of the season, having stood as the only Heat player to appear in the first 41.

Herro tried to push through, including warming up just before the game, before opting for a prudent approach ahead of Thursday night’s nationally televised road game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

— 3. Ware’s turn: Having started the second half of Sunday’s victory over the Spurs, Ware remained in the first unit, this time starting alongside Butler, Adebayo, Rozier and Robinson.

Ware’s opening stint included a highlight dunk off a Robinson feed.

Then, in the second period, Ware caught a Robinson airballed 3-point attempt and dunked to beat the shot-clock buzzer.

It added up to Ware’s second career double-double, his second in the past five games.

— 4. The Butler angle: As he did in Sunday’s victory over the Spurs, Butler largely played as passive playmaker, rarely displaying anything close to explosive play.

It was another case, the third in as many games since a return from a seven-game unpaid suspension, where Butler met the requisite requirements and little more.

He closed 4 of 9 from the field and 4 of 4 from the line, a spectator to the Heat’s fourth-quarter rally.

As has been the case in the other games during his return, Butler sat away from teammates during timeouts.

— 5. What next?: So now make it seven games before the Feb. 6 NBA trading deadline, when there at least will be one form of season closure with Butler.

Up next is Thursday night’s nationally televised road game against the surging Bucks, with the two-game trip to be completed Saturday against the Brooklyn Nets.