In the win for Miami, Herro would be re-inserted in the starting lineup after playing the last four off the bench since he was coming off a 15-game absence with a ribs injury. With Norman Powell out and labeled “week-to-week” with a groin sprain, Herro would fill in the void, and immediately brought energy as both he and Durant were barking at each other in the first quarter.

It got to the point where, after a timeout, Durant and Herro would exchange more words, to the point where Durant had to be held back, with both receiving technical fouls. The intensity would continue throughout the game, with both talking to each other, but it would be contagious as the outing was physical.

Tyler Herro and Kevin Durant exchanging more words, had to be held back. Techs for both. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/mWEFk3xDAQ

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 28, 2026

By the end of the game, Herro and Durant embraced in a show of respect, as the guard said to ClutchPoints after the game that it was just “competing at the end of the day.” Herro would say that Durant called out his defense.

“He was saying, ‘I couldn’t guard,’ then I said something to him. But, we’re competing. And at the end of the day, you want to play the best players in the world and compete like that. That’s what I live for, I love to compete,” Herro said after recording 18 points on eight of 12 shooting from the field, two of four from deep.”

ClutchPoints would ask what Herro said in response to Durant’s comment:

“Ask Kevin,” Herro said.

Tyler Herro spoke about the matchup with Kevin Durant that got heated. Says he wanted to give the team an edge, was just competition.

Confirmed to me that KD said he couldn’t guard, Herro said he responded. Would ask about what he said in response, “Ask Kevin.” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/fAbORr5GRq

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) March 1, 2026

Tyler Herro and Kevin Durant embrace after a contentious game. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/8oQZrUrfFk

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 28, 2026

Bam Adebayo gives his take on the Tyler Herro-Kevin Durant exchange

With the Heat’s frustrations growing after the prior two straight disappointing results, with even captain Bam Adebayo questioning the effort level of the team, Saturday was a major step in the right direction. For Herro, he would even say that he wanted to bring an “edge” to Miami.

“Nothing crazy, I know Kev a little bit, just competing. I feel like as a team, we didn’t have an edge to us in Milwaukee or Philly, so I was trying to bring a little edge to it,” Herro said.

“I mean, we won, the team responded,” Herro continued. “So we were down 14-4 at the time, was able to just get some fire going. I feel like we’re at our best when we got guys in here that are on edge.”

Durant would echo the same sentiments as Herro, saying “those words are just words” and how respect goes both ways with him and the Heat star, via a video by Brady Hawk, as shown by the hug at the end of the game.

I asked Kevin Durant about the back and forth with Tyler Herro tonight:

“I think we both just needed a jolt of energy to start the game.”

“You seen it. We laughed and joked right after that. I got respect for Tyler, he has respect for me.”

“Those words are just words.” pic.twitter.com/1ueDWzD4Ke

— Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305) February 28, 2026

For Adebayo, “it’s competitors being competitors.”

“That’s what you want,” Adebayo said after recording 24 points and 11 rebounds. “I mean, it gets like that when we play pickup. Y’all just don’t see it. You know, that brings the best out of everybody. When you have those types of matchups, you have those types of competitors on the floor, that causes a great game of basketball, and you want to see it like that. You want guys to go at each other and then obviously, best man wins, or best team wins.”

Bam Adebayo said the interactions between Tyler Herro and Kevin Durant is “competitors being competitors.”

Full response: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/lw2LtEJ40c

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) March 1, 2026

At any rate, it was a huge win for Miami as the team is 32-29, putting them eighth in the East, as the next two games on Tuesday and Thursday will be against the Brooklyn Nets.

The post What Heat’s Tyler Herro ‘loved’ about heated Kevin Durant matchup in win over Rockets appeared first on ClutchPoints.

When Adebayo joined the crew for his postgame interview after Saturday’s 115-105 win against the Houston Rockets, host Steve Nash joked that Haslem was disappointed to see Adebayo take his Heat franchise record, per NBA on Prime.

“UD’s over here so salty that you’re about to pass him on the all-time rebound list with the Heat,” Nash said, to which Adebayo asked the crew how close he is to passing Haslem.

Adebayo is 245 rebounds away from reaching Haslem’s franchise record.

“Sorry, OG,” Adebayo said. “I love you to death. I’ll give you the game ball if you want it. But you know that record is mine, buddy.”

"You know that record is mine, buddy."

Bam Adebayo says he'll give @ThisIsUD the game ball the day he breaks UD's franchise rebounding record pic.twitter.com/XsbSG4Gr60

— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) February 28, 2026

Udonis Haslem expressed zero interest in collecting Adebayo’s game ball from when he eventually surpasses Haslem’s all-time Heat record, which he predicts will be before the end of the regular season. Adebayo finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds in Saturday’s win against the Rockets.

Dwyane Wade questions Bam Adebayo’s Heat claim

Hall of Fame Dwyane Wade questioned Bam Adebayo’s take on the Heat, which is considered a talented team beyond the play-in round of the postseason. Wade addressed Adebayo’s take during Prime Video’s pregame broadcast, also discussing his team’s recent loss.

“Same thing I asked Bam… Are you? That was my voice note to Bam.”

Wade continued by emphasizing that results ultimately determine where a team stands in the hierarchy.

“Because men lie, women lie, numbers don’t. But I will say this, to Bam’s point back to me was – I think his disbelief and probably the team’s disbelief comes from them being first in pace overall, top-five in scoring, being top in defense so all the numbers are there. They have three guys now with [Norman Powell], Bam, [Tyler] Herro who have been All-Stars so you have guys that have talent there as well. So, I believe some of the disbelief from there is coming from that.”

DWade sent a voice note to Bam Adebayo about his comments on the Heat being better than a play-in team:

“Are you?… Because men lie, women lie, numbers don't.”

(via @NBAonPrime, h/t @HeatCulture13)pic.twitter.com/cnd3NOtctw

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 28, 2026

Adebayo and the Heat responded with a 10-point win against the Rockets on Saturday.

The post Bam Adebayo’s moment with Udonis Haslem amid Heat franchise rebound record pursuit appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Sure, the Heat are in the middle of the Eastern Conference’s pack, slotted in the eighth seed with a 31-29 record, but Erik Spoelstra teams are always a fiesty out, especially at home, where they hold a 17-11 record so far in 2025-26. With the Rockets fighting tooth and nail to keep their third seed in a very tightly contested Western Conference, securing a win in Miami felt crucial as the season winds down.

And unsurprisingly, when the rubber hit the hardwood, that consciousness boiled over into technical foul territory, with Tyler Herro and Durant both getting T’d up after having to be separated following a war of words on the court.

Tyler Herro and Kevin Durant exchanging more words, had to be held back. Techs for both. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/mWEFk3xDAQ

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 28, 2026

While players never want to draw technical fouls, especially during a timeout, his interaction with Herro served as nothing more than a minor roadblock on the way to KD doing KD things, with the future Hall of Famer leading all scorers with 14 points in just 19 minutes while holding the best plus-minus of any player in the game at +17. Durant’s Rockets outscored the Heat 24-19 in the second quarter and entered the half with a one-point lead at 52-51.

Will the Rockets pull out the win in Miami? Only time will tell, but with 24 more minutes to play at the time of publication, things have the potential to heat up even further in South Beach before the final buzzer.

The post Watch Kevin Durant, Tyler Herro exchange words in heated moment appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Though there was some speculation on Durant not participating along with stars LeBron James and Stephen Curry, the Houston Rockets star would shoot down that talk to ESPN, giving his eagerness to play.

“Hell yeah, I want to play,” Durant said. “I would love to, but I gotta stay on top of my game, I want to produce on the floor and make Grant and whoever is making the decisions want to put me on the team. I don’t want — not just for seniority. I want to still prove I can help the team win. Today, yeah, I feel like I’ll put my name in that hat.”

If there’s one person who loves to hear Duran’s comments, it was Spoelstra, as he spoke before Miami took on Houston Saturday afternoon, saying the star embodies the “culture of USA basketball.”

“I mean, just him saying that is incredible, and that’s the culture of USA basketball,” Spoelstra said. “You just want the best American players to raise their hand and say, I want to do this. And you can feel his passion for representing the country and the USA on the jersey. He’s been incredible in those competitions. But as far as him, what he’s doing right now, his game is timeless, it really is.”

Erik Spoelstra reacts to Kevin Durant saying he wants to play for Team USA in LA as he nears 40 years old:

“I mean, just him saying that is incredible…”

Full response: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/ES4HSVbXIn

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 28, 2026

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra on his experience with Kevin Durant on Team USA

Durant’s impact with Team USA basketball is huge, as he’s the all-time men’s leading scorer in Olympic competition and is a four-time gold medalist. Currently 37 years old, the star will be approaching 40 when the 2028 Olympics roll around, but there’s no doubt that Durant is still an elite player, as shown with his current stint in Houston.

Right now with the Rockets, Durant is averaging 26.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from deep. Spoelstra would go into how timeless Durant’s game is and what he saw from the star when he was an assistant coach on the 2024 gold medal team.

“You look at what he does at his age, and you can just book him for 26 plus, shooting 50 percent on jump shots,” Spoelstra said. “Doesn’t matter whether you’re there or not. He’s an absolute tactician in terms of his work ethic and how he drills. It’s a great lesson for all the young players coming in the league. There’s one thing to get up shots, and there’s another thing to really work on player development.”

“And I think that’s a takeaway that we all had, you know, watching him work during the summer, those six weeks after practice, before practice, the days in between, he’s going in there with intention,” Spoelstra continued. “You know, to try to, even at this age, to try to get better and improve, what a beautiful mindset that is, so he’s added a lot to their team for sure.”

At any rate, it remains to be seen how Spoelstra’s roster for Team USA in 2028 will be, with a good chance Durant is on the squad.

The post Heat’s Erik Spoelstra has ‘beautiful’ reaction to Kevin Durant’s urge to play in 2028 Olympics appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Speaking during Prime Video’s pregame broadcast as Miami opened a three-game homestand, Wade addressed Adebayo’s comments following the Heat’s recent loss.

“Same thing I asked Bam… Are you? That was my voice note to Bam.”

Wade continued by emphasizing that results ultimately determine where a team stands in the hierarchy.

“Because men lie, women lie, numbers don’t. But I will say this, to Bam’s point back to me was – I think his disbelief and probably the team’s disbelief comes from them being first in pace overall, top-five in scoring, being top in defense so all the numbers are there. They have three guys now with [Norman Powell], Bam, [Tyler] Herro who have been All-Stars so you have guys that have talent there as well. So, I believe some of the disbelief from there is coming from that.”

Miami enters the contest at 31-29, sitting eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. The Heat are looking to snap a two-game losing streak after a 124-117 defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night. They trail Philadelphia (33-26) by 2.5 games for the sixth seed, the final guaranteed playoff spot that avoids the play-in tournament. Miami has participated in the play-in during each of the past two seasons.

DWade sent a voice note to Bam Adebayo about his comments on the Heat being better than a play-in team:

“Are you?… Because men lie, women lie, numbers don’t.”

(via @NBAonPrime, h/t @HeatCulture13)pic.twitter.com/cnd3NOtctw

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 28, 2026

Dwyane Wade questions Heat standing as Bam Adebayo voices frustration

Following Thursday’s loss, Adebayo voiced frustration about the team’s current position in the standings.

“Yea I don’t wanna be in this sh*t no more. We’re better than being in the play-in in the last 4 years.”

“See if we can string some Ws together.”

Statistically, Miami ranks second in the NBA in scoring at 119.9 points per game, trailing only the Denver Nuggets (120.5). However, the Heat rank 20th in points allowed, surrendering 117.2 per game, highlighting inconsistencies on the defensive end.

Wade’s remarks reflect the tension between potential and production. While Miami boasts multiple All-Star-caliber players and elite offensive metrics, its record places the team squarely in play-in territory. With the regular season entering its final stretch, the Heat face increasing urgency to convert strong statistical indicators into wins if they intend to avoid another appearance in the play-in tournament.

The post Dwyane Wade questions Bam Adebayo’s ‘better than a play-in team’ claim appeared first on ClutchPoints.

While Powell deals with a Grade 1 groin strain that’s going to potentially keep the 32-year-old out for a handful of games, as Miami has four games this upcoming week, Herro is the obvious choice to fill the role as the lead offensive option along with Bam Adebayo. Still, Powell has been crucial to the Heat’s offense, leading the team with 22.5 points per game, but one can’t forget that Herro was an All-Star last season, averaging 23.9 points per game.

Though Miami is losing Powell for an unknown amount of time, Herro’s workload seems likely to increase, with Spoelstra even saying to ClutchPoints that he was “planning on playing him a few more minutes anyway.”

“Well, we know what we miss with Norm,” Spoelstra said before Saturday’s game against the Houston Rockets. “He’s proven this year that he’s a versatile, explosive scorer in our system, but we have other guys who can step up. Tyler, for sure, is a guy who’s already started getting in a better rhythm and was planning on playing him a few more minutes anyway.”

“So, we need it,” Spoelstra continued. “You can see him in the second half [of last Thursday’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers] much more like himself, and I think that will just continue to get better.”

Asked Erik Spoelstra about Norman Powell’s absence, and Tyler Herro getting more of a workload.

“We have other guys who can step up, Tyler, for sure, is a guy who’s already started getting in better rhythm, was planning on playing him a few more minutes anyways…” #HeatNarion pic.twitter.com/eTj690ezyW

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 28, 2026

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra on treating Norman Powell, more on Tyler Herro

While the Heat are sick and tired of participating in the play-in tournament, looking to climb the standings with 22 games left before Saturday, Herro will be crucial in maintaining the offense. However, this could mean a change of role from what fans have seen, as after missing 15 games with a ribs injury, Herro has been coming off the bench for the last four games.

There was already a question whether Herro would be re-inserted into the starting lineup, but now with Powell out, does Miami have a choice? Time will tell, but there’s no denying that Herro is looking to stay healthy and help the Heat for the rest of the season, as he’s missed 45 games this season with a myriad of injuries.

Also, the trio of Herro, Powell, and Adebayo has only played in 11 games this season, giving the team a small sample size on the ceiling this team can reach. At any rate, Powell will work to get back, though it remains to be seen how much time will be missed.

“We have who we have available today. I feel for Norm, because he wants to be out there for all the games, especially in these moments, you know, right now. But we’ll treat him, and we’ll see where he is after the week,” Spoelstra said.

Erik Spoelstra on Norman Powell being labeled as “week to week” and where it leaves the team.

“We have who we have available today. I feel for Norm because he wants to be out there for all the games…but we’ll treat him and we’ll see where he is after the week…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/3sn4FpTUoS

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 28, 2026

Before Saturday’s game against the Rockets, Miami is 31-29, putting them eighth in the Eastern Conference, but the good news is that, including the aforementioned contest, the Heat are home for the next seven of eight outings.

The post Heat’s Erik Spoelstra teases bigger role for Tyler Herro amid Norman Powell injury appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Powell will be out for Saturday afternoon’s matchup against the Houston Rockets, with an MRI showing that he has a Grade 1 strain, as he will be considered “week-to-week” by the team. The week-to-week label is crucial compared to “day-to-day” as other players have been considered in the past.

Looking at just this upcoming week, after Saturday’s game, Miami will have four games with Powell at risk of missing all of them with the groin strain. Powell only played in 10 minutes of Thursday’s loss, leaving with a groin injury, as he even entered the game questionable with the issue before being upgraded to “available.”

“We’re going to have to evaluate that when we get back in Miami,” Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra said after the loss, via video from the team’s YouTube page. “It wasn’t that he couldn’t [play], it was that one slide against [Tyrese] Maxey, and he overextended it. So that’s the same one that he’s been dealing with, and we’ll just have to see what it is.”

Heat’s Tyler Herro is likely to fill the void left by Norman Powell

Powell has been Miami’s leading scorer with 22.5 points on 47.3 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent from three-point range, leading the 32-year-old to become a first-time All-Star. For most of the season, he had been filling in as the top offensive guard with Tyler Herro missing significant time.

Now the roles will be reversed, as while Herro has come off the bench since returning from the ribs injury, one would imagine he’s inserted in the starting lineup, though the ongoing injury issues with the team have been frustrating.

“It’s obviously very tough,” Herro said. “We just want to stay healthy, keep guys healthy, pray for Norm. I hope he’s all right.”

It remains to be seen how long Powell misses time for the Heat.

The post Heat’s Norman Powell considered ‘week-to-week’ with latest groin injury appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Powell only played 10 minutes, where he scored just three points to go along with three rebounds and two assists, as with leading the team with 22.5 points per game, his presence was missed. He came into the game on the injury report with “right groin soreness,” where he was questionable for the contest, though he was made available later.

With Miami now staying home for a three-game stretch, all eyes will be on his health as Spoelstra spoke about how he “overextended” the injury.

“We’re going to have to evaluate that when we get back in Miami,” Spoelstra said, according to The Miami Herald. “It wasn’t that he couldn’t [play]…he overextended it. So that’s the same one that he’s been dealing with, and we’ll just have to see what it is.”

Powell passed all the protocols and tests to play on Thursday, as the groin injury was “built up over time,” as the star said at that morning’s shootaround.

Heat’s Norman Powell on the ‘really frustrating’ injuries 

With the Heat’s loss to the 76ers, the team has 22 games left to turn around the season and make a run to avoid the play-in tournament, with Powell being a key to bringing the offense to a standout level. Though Tyler Herro has made his return, recording 25 points and seven assists off the bench, Powell has been vital to the team as he’s been racking up injuries in his back, along with the groin.

Powell would say the injuries have been “really frustrating,” though the way he acknowledged it is that bumps and bruises happen with a lot of players, expressing he has a “very high pain tolerance.”

It remains to be seen what Powell’s status is for Miami’s next game on Saturday against the Houston Rockets.

The post Norman Powell’s nagging groin injury gets ‘what it is’ Erik Spoelstra Heat update appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Miami is all too familiar with the play-in tourney, having finished as the eighth seed in the last three seasons, and the team is looking to finish at least sixth to avoid it altogether. However, with 22 games left, time is winding down for this time make a significant run, with Thursday having been a prime opportunity.

A win against the 76ers would’ve given the Heat a tiebreaker that could’ve had postseason implications with Philadelphia being the sixth seed and Miami being at the eighth spot. The setbacks have been weighing on the team, as shown with Adebayo’s comments, where he is fed up with being in the tourney and how the team is better than that.

“I don’t want to be in that s*** no more,” Adebayo said, via video from HeatCulture on X, formerly Twitter. “We’re better than being in the play-in for the last four years.”

Bam Adebayo is completely fed up with being in the play-in:

“Yea I don’t wanna be in this sh*t no more. We’re better than being in the play-in in the last 4 years.”

“See if we can string some Ws together.”

I haven’t seen Bam look this deflated in a minute… https://t.co/YxJ3nssPZi pic.twitter.com/2VLElOb0bx

— 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙩𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 (@WadexFlash) February 27, 2026

Looking at the loss to the 76ers, Miami shot itself in the foot with a rocky first half as Philadelphia got anything they wanted on offense. Adebayo called out the effort of the team, saying they “didn’t play hard enough.”

“I mean, I don’t know how to explain effort. You can clearly see we weren’t making enough of an effort to get guys off the line, make multiple efforts,” Adebayo said after recording 29 points and 14 rebounds on Thursday with video via Heat Nation on X.

Bam Adebayo on Miami’s effort:

“We didn't play hard enough, bro. I mean, I don't know how to explain effort.”

(via @DarkoBasketball) pic.twitter.com/REQYiSSRi8

— 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙏 𝙉𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 (@HeatvsHaters) February 27, 2026

Bam Adebayo on where the Heat have been “stagnant” 

Though the Heat was without Norman Powell for a portion of the game after he left with a groin injury, the game featured another concerning trend that has impacted the team. As Miami had a three-game winning streak heading into Tuesday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, the team would collapse by not scoring a field goal in the last six and a half minutes of the game.

Thursday was similar, as while the second half for the Heat was much better in erasing a 17-point Philadelphia lead, even with Miami taking a lead, the team would go scoreless in almost the last three minutes of the outing. Another frustration that Adebayo aired out was how “stagnant” they were.

“We got stagnant offensively,” Adebayo said, according to The Miami Herald. “We ran a certain play over and over again, and we were stagnant.”

Another area that the team needs to figure out is how to capitalize when in clutch time, as while Powell was not in the game, players such as Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, and especially a returning Tyler Herro need to come up huge. Looking at the team’s production on both sides of the ball, the offense has been up-and-down.

After taking the league by storm with a 14-7 start, showcasing a new fast-paced style of play, it hasn’t resulted in a league-top offense.

While Miami leads the league in pace with 104.9 possessions per 48 minutes, the team is ranked 15th in offensive rating (114.0), whereas the Heat is fifth in defensive rating (111.6).

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra admits needing to do a better job

As the Heat look to continue challenging themselves throughout the rest of the season, it could be hard for a fan to believe this team can put it all together and reach the sixth seed. Besides the team going through a myriad of injuries throughout the season, especially with Herro, head coach Erik Spoelstra is also looking to balance the youth movement on the team and play them significant minutes.

There’s no denying that the one player people point to is Kel’el Ware, being the forefront of Miami’s youth, as he only played 12 minutes. With the Heat being 1-9 when Ware plays less than 15 minutes, plus other young players getting fluctuating minutes like Kasparas Jakucionis, Myron Gardner, Keshad Johnson, and Nikola Jovic, Spoelstra would admit needing to be better with the team.

“I have to do a better job with this group,” Spoelstra said, via The Miami Herald. “We have the potential that we can see. We have the explosiveness, we have the defense. It’s a matter of consistency. And that’s what I’m here for, to be able to help bridge that along with the veterans, to be able to help our consistency.”

“But also to hold the young guys accountable,” Spoelstra continued. “And we have more of them than we’ve had in recent history, but also develop them and infuse confidence in them. And that’s a fine balance. But again, that’s what I’m here for. I want to take that challenge, and I want to be better with that.”

While Spoelstra was candid, Adebayo would be as well, saying that the coach has been “trying” to adjust to playing the young players.

“He’s trying to,” Adebayo said. “I wouldn’t say he’s completely adjusted, but he’s trying to. He’s trying to adjust, he’s trying to make it work, he’s trying to figure it out. The biggest part of that is him trying it. Because we all know our coach. If something doesn’t work, he’ll scratch it real quick. So it’s good that he’s trying to work at it.”

The Heat’s youth situation has been a balancing act 

It has been a balancing act for Spoelstra, but he has said time and time again that he isn’t in the business of gifting minutes to younger players. This has been shown by how much time has been given to Pelle Larsson, who has been a mainstay in the starting lineup as of late, and Jaime Jaquez Jr., who has been the team’s no-doubt sixth man.

“We’re not going to prioritize something over winning,” Spoelstra said. “Winning is going to be the bottom line. Take it or leave it, like it or not, that’s what the Miami Heat is about. We’re competing to win. You have to earn your minutes. We’re not gifting minutes to anyone. We have more young players playing in the rotation than we’ve had in a long time, and that’s this balance that I’m embracing.”

“Develop these players, infuse them with confidence, but also hold them accountable to our standard,” Spoelstra continued. “The standard is not going to change, and we feel that players improve the quickest when there’s an accountability to winning, when they’re not just empty minutes that are being gifted to someone.”

As laid out, Miami has a lot of work to do with 22 games left in the season, and while it is very possible for the team to make a run and reach that coveted sixth seed, the Heat haven’t shown much promise to do so at this point. However, the team has proven the doubters wrong in the past, with Miami given another chance to rewrite the narrative.

Though the team has played a ton on the road. In fact, no team has played more on the road than the Heat at this point, as now the roster gets an extended stretch at home, making this the prime opportunity to turn the season around.

“It’s very important,” Jaquez said. “We got seven of eight at home. It’s going to be a great time for us to make a stand and make a push and win some games.”

At any rate, the Heat are 31-29, putting them eighth in the Eastern Conference, as they return home to face the Houston Rockets on Saturday night.

The post Bam Adebayo, Heat’s frustrations growing amid another year of expected play-in purgatory appeared first on ClutchPoints.

“Yeah, I don’t wanna be in this s**t any more,” Adebayo said, per the HeatCulture X account, after recording a game-high 29 points and 14 rebounds. “We’re better than being in the play-in for the last 4 years.”

While the Heat are revered for their toughness, professionalism and cohesion, their renown culture has amounted to just one playoff win in the last two years. Injuries have certainly factored into the disappointing finishes, but it is becoming clear that Miami no longer possesses the firepower to contend in the East, perhaps not even in a diminished one that is presently without Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton.

“Yeah, I don’t wanna be in this sh*t any more. We’re better than being in the play-in in the last 4 years… Win some games… See if we can string some Ws together."

Bam Adebayo on ending up in the play-in tournament pic.twitter.com/PaFyUTuCUR

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 27, 2026

The Heat’s odds of making a deep postseason run will surely decrease if they are forced to once again navigate the Play-In round. Yes, the team has pulled it off before, reaching the NBA Finals after starting out as the No. 8 seed, but Jimmy Butler is not in South Beach anymore (nor is he healthy). The organization may have to take a hard look at itself and initiate significant changes, because this is obviously not the Miami that was swimming in praise just a few years ago.

Perhaps a return to the Kaseya Center will reverse the team’s fortunes. Following consecutive road losses to the Milwaukee Bucks and 76ers, the Heat will play eight of their next 10 games at home, starting with a Saturday night face-off with the Houston Rockets. They can only hope that the long-awaited turnaround comes during this crucial stretch, because the playoffs are fast approaching.

“Win some games,” Bam Adebayo said. “Be in our atmosphere, be in our habitat, where our fans are cheering for us and see if we can string some Ws together.” Miami sits in eighth place in the East and is two and a half games behind Philly for the coveted No. 6 slot.

The post Heat’s Bam Adebayo is sick and tired of playing in the play-in tournament appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Heat climbed back from a 16-point deficit at halftime to steal the lead, 81-80, midway through the third quarter. The 76ers wrested control of the game before the Heat once again grabbed the driver’s seat, 117-116, with only 2:44 left in the final frame.

But that was the last time they scored, as Philadelphia escaped with the hard-fought victory.

For Bam Adebayo, it was clear that they doomed themselves with their lackadaisical performance in the first half.

“We didn’t play hard enough,” said Adebayo, as quoted by Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang.

“We didn’t play hard enough, bro. I mean, I don’t know how to explain effort.”

It was unclear whether the 28-year-old Adebayo was irked or despaired, but it felt like he wanted to sound the alarm. He has always been vocal and accountable after a defeat, knowing that he is the leader of the squad.

The Heat, who fell to 31-29, lost Norman Powell in the first half due to a groin injury.

They allowed the 76ers to score 73 points in the first half, as Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Kelly Oubre Jr. had their way on the offensive end.

Overall, Philadelphia went 48% from the field and scored 50 points in the paint.

Adebayo had 29 points on 10-of-20 shooting, 14 rebounds, and three assists. Tyler Herro added 25 points, four rebounds, and seven assists off the bench.

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Powell, who was a late addition to the injury report, finished with three points on 1-of-5 shooting, three rebounds, and two assists.

According to Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang, the 32-year-old Powell was already bothered by his groin injury before the game, but he still decided to suit up.

“Norman Powell (right groin strain) is done for the rest of the night. He was questionable with a groin issue and tried to play through it, but his night ends after 11 minutes,” wrote Chiang on X.

The Heat will have to get more creative offensively to fill the void left by Powell, who is averaging 22.9 points on 47.5% shooting.

It would be a huge blow to Miami if Powell is sidelined for an extended period, especially with the action picking up heading into the playoffs.

Powell is having the best year of his career, earning his first nod to the All-Star Game and proving the Heat right in signing him in the offseason. Many were confused as to why the Los Angeles Clippers let him walk after his breakout season.

If he remains out in the coming days, the Heat have enough depth to cover for him. The recent return of Tyler Herro from his rib injury was also perfect timing.

As of writing, the Heat are trailing the 76ers by a slim margin in the fourth quarter.

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Miami’s leading scorer has been added to the injury report as he’s listed as “questionable” for Thursday’s contest with “right groin soreness.” If there is a positive, he would participate in shootaround Thursday morning, saying that he had been feeling the injury even before Tuesday’s loss, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

“I was feeling it for a little bit, even before the Milwaukee game. So the medical staff after the game, I was feeling it a little bit the next morning. So I’ll probably get some treatment on it and see how I feel a little bit later,” Powell said.

Others on the Heat’s injury report vs. the 76ers, besides Norman Powell

Also on the injury report of concern for the Heat is starting point guard Davion Mitchell, who is also questionable, though he is dealing with a head illness that had kept him out last Saturday, but he returned for Tuesday’s game against the Bucks. Nikola Jovic is once again out with a lower back injury, this time being listed as “injury management” for the area.

Powell is a first-time All-Star this season as he’s been a standout in his first season with Miami after being traded from the Los Angeles Clippers last offseason. He’s averaging a team-high 22.9 points on 47.5 shooting from the field and 39.2 percent from the three-point line.

Miami looks to climb the rankings as they are 31-28, which puts them eighth in the Eastern Conference, as the team takes on the 76ers, who are at the coveted sixth spot, which is the last spot to avoid the play-in tournament. After beating Philadelphia on Nov. 23, the Heat have a chance in the next two contests against the team to get the tiebreaker, which could have postseason implications.

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Thursday’s game has some postseason implications, as while Miami is the eighth seed at a 31-28 record, Philadelphia (32-26) holds the coveted sixth seed, which is the last spot a team can get to avoid the play-in tourney. Though there are 23 games left, the Heat must turn a corner and stack wins, which made Tuesday’s loss to the undermanned Bucks more painful, especially with Miami snapping its three-game winning streak.

When asked about the pressure the team has on them, Spoelstra would channel legendary tennis player Billie Jean King with his latest sentiments.

“Good. I hope so,” Spoelstra said when asked about the pressure Miami has with avoiding the play-in tournament, according to The Miami Herald. “That pressure is a privilege, and I want our locker room to feel that pressure. We need to push our game to a higher level.”

Norman Powell on where the Heat “messed up”

While the Heat’s goal for the rest of the season is to build some consistency to peak at the right time, it needs to start Thursday, as a win over the 76ers would give them the tiebreaker, something that could be crucial for seeding purposes. However, the team needs to be better than it was on Tuesday, especially defensively, allowing Milwaukee without Antetokounmpo to have offensive success.

Allowing 30-point quarters in the first half and a 39-point period in the final frame, Miami also struggled offensively, not making a field goal in the last six and a half minutes of the game. Norman Powell would still point to the defense as the Heat’s fault.

“We just didn’t get enough stops, honestly,” Powell said after scoring 26 points. “They kept going back to the same play. And there are too many times where we messed up. Sometimes we got it right, sometimes we didn’t. And I think they were able to come through on that, and they had confidence. And they started making the plays on the stretch, and we just weren’t able to get the stops we needed.”

Spoelstra would mention how the defense needs to travel when on these vital road games, as the team looks to live up to that notion for Thursday’s tilt against the 76ers.

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As per the official injury report, Joel Embiid, who starred in the game against Indiana, has been listed as probable as he manages right knee recovery and right shin soreness. The Sixers will already be without Paul George due to a league suspension, making Embiid’s presence critical despite the long bill of injuries the Miami Heat are themselves dealing with.

The Heat lost during their latest outing against the Milwaukee Bucks but have managed three wins in their last four games.

*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)*

Joel Embiid injury status vs. Heat

Embiid can be expected to suit up for what is a crucial game for Philadelphia. Embiid recently returned to the floor after missing five consecutive games, posting 27 points, six rebounds and five assists on 11-17 shooting.

The Sixers currently hold the No. 6 seed in the East (the final guaranteed playoff spot), sitting just 1.5 games ahead of the No. 8 seed Heat. Miami won the first meeting back in November, meaning a Heat victory tonight would clinch the crucial head-to-head tiebreaker for the season series.

In addition to Paul George, who is suspended, the 76ers are confirmed to miss Johni Broone and Kelly Oubre Jr. for this game, with MarJon Beauchamp listed as doubtful. The Heat, in comparison, have bigger worries.

76ers injury report

Joel Embiid: Probable (Right Knee; Injury Management / Right Shin Soreness)

Paul George: Out (League Suspension)

Johni Broome: Out (Right Knee; Meniscus Tear)

MarJon Beauchamp: Doubtful (G League – Two-Way)

Kelly Oubre Jr.: Available (Left Knee; Injury Recovery – Brace)

Heat injury report

Davion Mitchell: Questionable (Head; Illness)

Terry Rozier: Out (Not With Team)

Nikola Jovic: Out (Lower Back; Injury Management)

Tyler Herro: Available (Right Costochondral; Injury to the Ribs)

Keshad Johnson: Available (Left Knee; Soreness)

Pelle Larsson: Available (Left 3rd Mallet; Finger)

Norman Powell: Available (Low Back; Tightness)

Dru Smith: Available (Left Calf; Soreness)

Andrew Wiggins: Available (Left Toe; Inflammation)

The post Is Joel Embiid playing tonight? 76ers vs. Heat injury report appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The NBA Hall of Famer shared the account Wednesday in a video posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, describing how the episode unfolded suddenly without warning.

“So, I woke up covered in my own blood. It was crazy, it was fast, it was instant. There was no warning. I didn’t have any time to prepare for it. I was getting ready to go on a date with my wife and the next thing you know, I was on the ground,” Bosh said. “I won’t get into specifics but you can kind of see I’m still recovering. I’m not gonna try to hide that one in case I look different but it was a scary thing and it came fast. And it made me really have a different outlook on life and how things go – what we do for ourselves, what we do for our family. How we live our lives and no matter what it is, make sure you don’t wait. That’s the thing I get from this. Don’t wait to take action.”

Bosh, 41, did not disclose the precise medical cause of the incident but emphasized how quickly it occurred and how fortunate he felt afterward.

“Because it could come fast, it could come quick, and I’m lucky to be alive and I feel great about that. And now I’m thinking about how I live my day-to-day life. That’s really it. But don’t wait. Don’t wait to take action – you might be wanting to get a promotion, you might want to try out for the team, you might want to go on that vacation, it might be so many different things that people want to do, that we want to do and never do. So, that’s what I get from all of this. Don’t wait for it.”

Former NBA champion Chris Bosh opened up about a frightening medical scare he recently experienced:

“I woke up covered in my own blood.”

Prayers up for Chris pic.twitter.com/1cdX98lEZT

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 25, 2026

Chris Bosh reflects on near-death moment years after blood clot diagnosis

He concluded:

“Just do it. You might hit the deck, I don’t know. I’m lucky, I came back. It was just darkness, it wasn’t anything else. I went to the darkness, I came back. I have no recollection, I have no memory other than coming back here. So, don’t wait.”

The medical scare comes years after Bosh’s NBA career was cut short due to recurring blood clots, a condition that first surfaced during the 2014-15 season with the Miami Heat. The diagnosis sidelined him for significant stretches and ultimately led to his retirement after the 2015-16 campaign. At the time, doctors determined that continued play posed serious health risks.

Bosh, who won two NBA championships with the Heat, averaged 19.2 points and 8.5 rebounds across his 13-year career, which also included seven seasons with the Toronto Raptors. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.

While he did not connect the recent incident directly to his previous blood clot history, Bosh’s message centered on urgency and gratitude, underscoring how quickly circumstances can change.

The former All-Star said the experience reshaped his daily outlook, reinforcing his belief that action should not be postponed.

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But missing from the list was LeBron James, who is often regarded as one of the great leaders in the NBA and was Wade’s co-star when the duo won two championships in 2012 and 2013. Regarding Pat Riley, Wade spoke about Pat’s attention to detail and ability to remain calm in the fire.

“Where Pat was great was his attention to detail. That’s something I try to pride myself on, even now…A lot of times, as a player, your mind, your emotions, your anxiety are all over the place. You make a couple of mistakes, and you start overthinking. He was that calm factor. Every time I went over to him during a game, he laid his hands on me and just gave me a calm feeling and reset me.”

Speaking about Shaq, he spoke about his ability to defer and the mentor role that O’Neal played in his early career en route to his first championship.

“He showed me the ropes. He showed me how to be a superstar on the court and off the court. He even gave me the nickname “Flash.” He sat down and talked to me about authenticity and making sure that my DNA was in everything that I did. It changed the way I went into meetings, it changed the way I thought about my brand and myself.”

And for Udonis Haslem, who is often praised by Wade when talking about his Heat tenure, he spoke about his capacity as a leader and the respect his voice carried.

“UD was never one of the top guys when it came to stardom, but he still had the loudest voice in the locker room. When he talked, everyone listened because we knew it wasn’t coming from a selfish place at all. It was coming from a guy who would literally give everything in his body for you on whatever play. He would take fines for you. He was making the least amount of money as an undrafted guy, but he didn’t care. He made sure that the rules Pat Riley set down were followed by everyone in the locker room. Even when LeBron James and Chris Bosh came, nothing changed.”

The piece was less about synergy on the court and more about his unique experience with these locker room leaders. But Wade has spoken highly of James in other venues, and James has been candid about how his partnership with Wade was pivotal to his career.

In December 2018 comments obtained after Wade and James’s final game against each other, LeBron spoke about Wade and their successful pairing.

“I think me personally, I would have been very successful in this league without D-Wade,” LeBron said. “But to accomplish what I really wanted to accomplish in this league, and that’s winning at the highest level, I needed him. And that’s when I made the jump, and I appreciate more than I can express in words what he did for me when I went down to Miami. You have to think about how I spent the first 25 years of my life in Akron, Ohio. I spent 18 years going through high school, and then my first seven years of my professional career I was still living in Akron, Ohio, so that’s all I knew.”

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Johnson was among the headliners for the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest, emerging victorious in the final round against San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant. While his dunks were impressive, a big part of what made his appearance memorable was his style and flair.

A native of Oakland, California, Johnson reached into his roots to enhance his showing. His first dunk included Bay Area music legend E-40, and he broke out into dance after each of his dunks. To be on the big stage in the marquee event of All-Star Saturday Night was a major blessing for him.

Behind the scenes footage of Keshad Johnson practicing for the dunk contest with E-40 pic.twitter.com/pHWikYzBCS

— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) February 22, 2026

“It’s a blessing from God just to be here and be able to showcase my God-given talent in my own way of art and everything,” Johnson told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview. “I grew up watching dunk contests all my life. That was always my favorite part of All-Star Weekend. So to actually be a part of it and go through the weekend amongst the other greats and stars, I couldn’t ask for nothing better.”

Regarding the dunk contest, there has been countless discourse in NBA circles and amongst fans and media alike on social media about how the event has fallen from its perch in recent years. And the truth is, with a lot of dunks having been done already throughout the years, all the extras that Johnson brought is key to being able to put on a show.

His mentality before hand was just making sure he made his performance memorable in whatever way he could. With big name NBA players shying away from the dunk contest, his goal was to do enough to make everyone watching remember his night.

“Just going out there and pretty much just making sure I leave a statement, making sure people know who I am after I leave the weekend. I’m one of the guys who, along with a lot of the fans, want to see a lot of the superstars in the dunk contest,” Johnson said. “For whatever reason why superstars. . .don’t go into the dunk contest, I don’t really know. I can’t really speak on that. Of course we all want to see those guys going through it.”

“But I guess those guys like declining opportunity,” Johnson continued. “As for me, I’m somebody that’s still trying to get myself on the radar and show people who I am. I can’t take a guess. I gotta show everybody who I am. I gotta take the opportunity and capitalize on it.”

Opportunity doesn’t always knock twice. With the number of eyes on the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest, there’s a good chance casual fans walked away knowing exactly who Keshad Johnson is.

“The world is watching. The whole world is watching whether it’s just the general NBA public even fans that don’t know anything about basketball,” Johnson said. “Especially after the Super Bowl. Football is down and now it’s basketball.”

Keshad Johnson’s opportunity with Heat

Despite playing a key role during San Diego State’s run to the NCAA national championship game in 2023, and putting up career numbers during his final season of college basketball at Arizona, Keshad Johnson went undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft.

In the days following the draft, the Heat thought highly enough of Johnson to immediately sign him to a two-way contract. He was one of the team’s standouts during NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and at the California Classic. In fact, the Heat were impressed enough with Johnson’s play that they converted his two-way contract into a standard deal just about two months into his rookie season.

‘Heat Culture’ has become infamous across the NBA, and for Johnson, he learned that the fastest way to getting playing time in the league was simply to do what was asked of him. He knew he wasn’t going to be a superstar, instead it was about seeing how to best fit around the team’s top players.

“I feel like I just got to embody ‘Heat Culture.’ I feel like I gotta show the coaches that they can trust me to go out there and do whatever it takes just to get my team the win,” Johnson said. “Everybody has a superstar. I’ve got to get in where I fit in and do whatever it takes.”

Johnson’s playing time since joining the Heat has fluctuated. As a rookie, he appeared in 16 games during the 2024-25 season at a little over six minutes per game. This season, he’s surpassed that with 23 games played, at just slightly more playing time at seven minutes per.

Across the past two seasons, he holds averages of 3.0 points and 1.9 rebounds while shooting 41.3 percent from the field, 32 percent from the 3-point line and 65.4 percent from the free-throw line. His best game to date came at the tail end of his rookie year when he dropped 17 points in a narrow loss to the Washington Wizards.

But it isn’t so much about the numbers that the Heat coaching staff is looking for when Johnson is on the court. It’s the little things that add up to winning.

“The coaching staff has asked for energy and effort,” Johnson said. “Energy and effort serves a lot. That’s who I am, that’s the identity I want to have. Somebody that serves energy and effort.”

When Johnson was still on a two-way contract, he spent plenty of time with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Even when his deal was converted to a standard contract, he’s still been assigned to the Skyforce with regularity.

This season, Johnson has appeared in four games with Sioux Falls while averaging 21.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocked shots. He’s shot 54.2 percent from the field, 51.6 percent from the 3-point line and 57.1 percent from the free-throw line.

As most young players either on two-way contracts or on assignment must learn how to handle, Johnson’s focus is just seizing the opportunity amid the shuffle between the Heat and the G League.

“Within my journey, I gotta stay ready for anything that can happen. It’s a lot of unexpected things that can happen being in my position,” Johnson said. “So just stay ready through and throughout. You never know what tomorrow is going to bring or what’s going to happen. Going to the G League one day, then I could be playing in an NBA game the next day.”

And through it all, Johnson has never lost sight of the main thing. He’s used to being doubted, used to be overlooked; going undrafted showed him that. Every day serves as motivation for him.

“I’ve been motivated my whole life. I’m aware of the circumstances of my journey of being undrafted,” Johnson said. “I got a bigger point to prove. I’m aware of all of that, so I just got to go out there and show everybody who I am. I’ve been doing it my whole life, there’s no extra motivation. I just know what it takes. I know what I got to do.”

The post Exclusive: Keshad Johnson remains motivated amid All-Star Weekend participation appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The incident happened with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter in what would be Miami’s eventual 136-120 win over the Grizzlies, but what led to it happened before. It started with Gardner going for a defensive rebound, but it looked like Pippen could’ve pushed the Heat forward out of the way.

Then, on the other end of the court, as Pippen made a three-pointer, he ran right into Gardner, who looked to have stood right in front of the Grizzlies guard to make him fall. Pippen would then retaliate by initiating the fight on the corner, leading to Spoelstra saying that Gardner is an “easy target” and how though they’ll move on, they “disagree” with the fine.

This moment with Myron Gardner & Scotty Pippen Jr. is what led to the fight.

(h/t @ohnohedidnt24)

pic.twitter.com/zlx3Risb95 https://t.co/xLmHmbHazz

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 22, 2026

“He’s a young player. It’s easy for the league to make a point on this because it went into the stands,” Spoelstra said, via The Miami Herald. “But we disagree with it. Pippen is the one that pushed it into the stands, and Myron didn’t really retaliate. Once he was on the ground, he was laughing. So if it was somebody else, I don’t think it would have been a $35,000 fine. But we’ll move on.”

Heat’s Myron Gardner on the “accident” made 

While Spoelstra defended the Heat’s young player, who had just been converted to a standard contract from a two-way earlier in the week, he would say after Monday’s practice that it would be a “good teaching moment” for Gardner. The forward himself would say how he “ran into” Pippen by accident, which resulted in the Memphis guard reacting.

“Oh, man. I feel really light, for sure,” Gardner said. “But it’s good. It’s behind me now. So there’s nothing I can do about it.”

At any rate, Miami and Gardner look to put that event in the rearview mirror as the team next faces the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.

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Miami practiced on Monday before traveling, as everybody practiced besides Davion Mitchell and Nikola Jovic, as both missed Saturday’s aforementioned win over the Grizzlies. Mitchell is dealing with a sickness as Jovic has sustained a lower back injury, whom he’ll see a doctor for to check on the severity, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

“It remains to be seen if they will travel to Milwaukee with the team today for tomorrow’s matchup vs. Bucks. Jovic went to see a doctor today for his back,” Chiang wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Mitchell had been a mainstay in the Heat’s starting lineup as the primary point guard, while Jovic has usually come off the bench, but has struggled for the majority of the year. The news stings since Miami had gotten healthier with the return of star Tyler Herro, as Norman Powell echoed after the win Saturday that the team is “starting to buy into the collective effort.”

“I think obviously us being finally healthy, we didn’t have [Mitchell] tonight, but I think it’s the healthiest we’ve been all year, and we just want to continue to build that chemistry and do all the little things to help us pull these games out and not have any slippage and continuing to focus on our goal of getting out the play-in [tournament],” Powell continued.

Asked Norman Powell about the Heat winning three straight games for the first time in a while, and after he joked about that being a shot (lol), would speak on how the team is “starting to buy into the collective effort” and the goal to get out of the play-in tourney: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/5WOEXWbFUw

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 22, 2026

At any rate, it remains to be seen what the status is of Mitchell and Jovic.

The post Heat’s Davion Mitchell, Nikola Jovic’s status for Bucks game in question amid Dr. visit appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Riley believes James could have led the Heat to a third title, he said, per the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang.

“I thought getting the Big 3 — Dwyane, Chris Bosh, and especially LeBron — that we had finally put together what I thought could become a dynasty,” Riley, 80, said Sunday when asked during a news conference in Los Angeles what James’ four-year run with the Heat meant to him.

“It was. Four trips to the Finals in a row, two world championships. It was an incredible run. And as a coach and somebody who really thought about how to build that particular team and had built it, I saw something that could have lasted eight to 10 years.”

Still, Riley understood James’ decision to return to Cleveland, which ultimately led to the Cavs winning their first championship in franchise history.

“I understood,” Riley said of James’ decision to leave the Heat, now seemingly at peace with the way things played out 12 years after James’ departure. “The business in the NBA is the business in the NBA. Players have an opportunity to go somewhere else; he went to Cleveland and won a title up there. So I wish him nothing but the best.

“But I’m going to be selfish here and say I wish I had him for another six or eight years. That would have been great. But we’ll never know, will we?”

James would go on to win his fourth title, and first with the Lakers, in 2020.

LeBron James reflects on his leaving the Heat

All-Star LeBron James paid respect to Heat president Pat Riley, who led the Lakers to four championships from 1982 to 1988 as a head coach. From his front-office position, Riley, who also led the 2006 champion Heat to a title as coach, wished James would lead his team to at least three championships.

James discussed his time with the Heat when a reporter relayed Riley’s comments, as the Miami Herald noted.

“I never said I’m going to go there four years and decide to go somewhere else,” James said to reporters in Los Angeles on Sunday when asked about Riley’s comments. “That’s just how the cards were played. But, yeah, it’s human nature to look back and say what could have been. But that’s part of life. I thought the four years that we had were great, obviously.

“We were able to pick up two championships, we lost two of them, unfortunately. But a lot of great memories, a lot of great time there. It would have been interesting to see what could have happened.”

The Lakers lost to the Celtics, 111-89, on Sunday.

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“He came in as a rookie…He was great. He was gifted. He was talented… I never saw a young man work harder than Dwyane Wade to become one of the greatest players ever. Definitely the greatest player in the history of the Miami Heat.”

Wade certainly earned the title of the greatest player in Heat history. He played with the organization from 2003 to 2016 before briefly leaving to play for the Bulls and Cavaliers. He then returned in 2018 and played with the team until his retirement in 2019. In that time, Wade won three NBA championships with the team, including his legendary performance in the 2006 NBA Finals. In the Heat’s historic comeback versus the Mavericks, averaging 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. He scored 40 points two times in that series: 42 points in Game 3 and 43 points in Game 4.

His greatness continued in the Big Three era, providing a high-powered tandem with LeBron James that eventually won two more championships for the organization. With 13 NBA All-Star selections, 8 All-NBA selections, and the 2006 NBA Finals MVP award achieved in his career, Dwayne Wade earned a spot on the NBA’s Top 75 players list in 2021 and etched himself in Miami Heat history.

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The halftime ceremony was a special tribute to Riley to celebrate his statue, which was unveiled outside Crypto.com Arena before the game.

LeBron James admitted that he took a peek at the halftime ceremony, which was hosted by Magic Johnson and attended by former players of Riley, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Jamaal Wilkes, AC Green, and Byron Scott, among others.

The 41-year-old James only had good words to say about the 80-year-old Riley, stressing that he has the “utmost respect” for the legendary mentor.

“He’s one of the all-time greats that has ever been part of this league, not only as a player, (but as) a coach, an executive, front office, everything. Obviously, what he did with the Lakers organization in the 80s goes without saying, and rightfully so, they made a statue of him outside the building,” said James in a video posted by EssentiallySports’ Mark Medina.

LeBron James called Pat Riley “one of the all-time greats that has ever been part of this league” after seeing Riley’s halftime ceremony. LeBron on Riley imagining Heat could’ve had a 6-10 year title window had he stayed instead of return to Cleveland in 2014. pic.twitter.com/IScCJcWxqO

— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) February 23, 2026

Of course, James and Riley spent four years together on the Miami Heat, where the latter has served as team president for over three decades. James led the Heat to two titles before leaving in 2014 to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

James’ decision to join Miami changed the NBA’s landscape, while also underscoring the continued influence of Riley.

While many believe that they could have won more championships together, James said he is not hung up on the past.

“It’s human nature to look back and say, ‘Okay, what could have been.’ But that’s part of life,” added the four-time MVP, who had 20 points, four rebounds, five assists, and two steals against the Celtics.

Riley coached the Lakers to four championships as the architect of the famed “Showtime” era.

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Following the Heat’s 136-120 victory over the Grizzlies, Spoelstra addressed the fourth-quarter scuffle that saw Pippen and Miami forward Myron Gardner ejected after tumbling into the stands. While Pippen claimed he was retaliating to a “soft” cheap shot, Spoelstra isn’t buying that narrative.

“I don’t know what happened on the three-point shot. I just saw Pippen fall,” Spoelstra told reporters. “I just saw the play after that and that looked like 95% Pippen. Let’s just see what it is. I love Myron regardless.”

Erik Spoelstra on scuffle between Myron Gardner and Scottie Pippen Jr.:

"I don’t know what happened on the three-point shot. I just saw Pippen fall. I just saw the play after that and that looked like 95% Pippen. Lets just see what it is. I love Myron regardless.” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/mntJJe8jcU

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 22, 2026

The “95%” Spoelstra refers to was the moment Pippen charged Gardner and shoved him into the front row at Kaseya Center with 1:19 remaining. While the physical exchange grabbed the headlines, the actual basketball game was a masterclass in Heat culture.

The Miami Heat dismantled Memphis with elite ball movement, racking up 36 assists. Andrew Wiggins was the star of the night, scoring 28 points on a near-perfect 9-of-10 shooting performance. Norman Powell added 25 points, helping Miami pull away during a dominant 39-point third quarter. The win was a crucial boost for a Heat team that has relied heavily on its depth throughout a rocky season.

The Memphis Grizzlies, playing without Ja Morant, simply couldn’t keep pace despite a breakout performance from GG Jackson, who dropped 28 points. Before his ejection, Pippen Jr. was the lone bright spot in the backcourt, finishing with 18 points and six assists.

To Memphis, it was a justified reaction to a dirty play. To Spoelstra and the Heat, it was an unnecessary escalation in a game that was already decided. Regardless of who is at fault, the bad blood between these two young players is officially a storyline to watch next time they meet.

The post Heat HC Erik Spoelstra gives his perspective on Myron Gardner-Scotty Pippen Jr. fight appeared first on ClutchPoints.

For the past three seasons, Miami has finished in familiar territory, being locked in at the eighth seed, fighting its way into the playoffs through the play-in tournament. To get out of contention for the tourney, the team has to finish at least at the sixth seed, with the Heat making progress after Saturday’s win and the Orlando Magic losing in double-overtime to the Phoenix Suns. Miami is now in seventh at 31-27.

At the moment, the Philadelphia 76ers are sixth at 30-26, and standings could change at ondime depending on the results of each game. Powell would admit after the win over the Grizzlies how “focused” the team is in playing to their strengths and avoiding the play-in tourney.

“We want to get out of the play-in. So we’re locked into it, we know what we need to do obviously…Nobody’s gonna come help us,” Powell said after scoring 25 points. “It’s all on us, controlling what we can control as a team…putting our best foot and best effort forward to give us a chance to get out of that.”

“Obviously, we want to have [teams] have a little downfall while we’re kicking into gear and getting these wins,” Powell continued. “But we’re focused on how we need to play and how we need to compete every single night.”

Norman Powell on the Heat focusing on getting out of the play-in tourney: #HeatNation

"It’s what we're focused on. We want to get out the play-in. We're locked into it. We know what we need to do. We're not hoping somebody is going to come help us, it’s all on us…” pic.twitter.com/9yF8jHEfd0

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 22, 2026

Heat’s Tyler Herro on what Erik Spoelstra talks about all the time

While the Heat are looking to maximize their potential, especially now that the team is the healthiest it’s been in a while, though they were without Davion Mitchell and Nikola Jovic on Saturday, it’s crucial to stack wins. Miami had trouble winning even consecutive games to start 2026, but now, with an offensive boost in Herro returning after missing 45 total games this season, the goal is set in getting at least the sixth seed.

Herro came off the bench once again, and although he scored a game-high 24 on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks, he wasn’t as efficient against Memphis, scoring 14 points. Still, he’s getting his feet under him after missing 15 straight games before Friday and admitted, besides himself and Bam Adebayo mostly wanting to get out of the play-in, as they’ve experienced it the most, so does head coach Erik Spoelstra as well.

“Yeah, our coach talks about it every day,” Herro said when talking about getting out of the tourney. “We as players, mainly me and Bam, who’ve been here, we want to get out of the play-in. That’s our goal, and that’s our first goal. We got a lot of goals.”

Tyler Herro speaks after the game about how he continues to feel after coming back from the ribs injury, the depth of the team, how coach talks about getting out of the play-in tourney, and more: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/mFqiBqau9A

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 22, 2026

If there’s one thing for certain, Miami seems to be hitting a stride offensively, scoring over 120 points in the last three games, with even the team scoring at least 70 points in the paint in the past two contests.

“I like a lot of what’s happening offensively in the last two games,” Spoelstra said to ClutchPoints. “Playing a real collective game, sharing the ball, being aggressive, back-to-back 70-point in the paint games. Taking appropriate shots, guys are really just playing the right way, and you can see it.”

Asked Erik Spoelstra about the offense not skipping a beat, though the defense giving up 120 isn’t something he likely wants to give up every game.

“I like a lot of what’s happening offensively the last two games, playing a real college game…”

Full answer: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/VaQj1lxed9

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 22, 2026

Norman Powell on what the Heat are starting to do

Despite the current three-game winning streak coming against subpar teams such as the New Orleans Pelicans, the Hawks, and now the Grizzlies, the team had trouble earlier handling lowly opponents. At any rate, it’s the first time in over a month that Miami has won three straight games, leading Powell to tell ClutchPoints how the Heat are “starting to buy into the collective effort.”

“I think now, at this point in the season, leave all the clutter out, nothing else matters besides winning,” Powell said. “I think that’s the most important thing. And I think we’re really starting to buy into the collective effort and trusting one another and working the game. And I think that’s the biggest part.”

“I think obviously us being finally healthy, you know, we didn’t have [Mitchell] tonight like but I think it’s the healthiest we’ve been all year, and we just want to continue to build that chemistry and do all the little things to help us pull these games out and not have any slippage and continuing to focus on our goal of getting out the play-in [tournament],” Powell continued.

Asked Norman Powell about the Heat winning three straight games for the first time in a while, and after he joked about that being a shot (lol), would speak on how the team is “starting to buy into the collective effort” and the goal to get out of the play-in tourney: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/5WOEXWbFUw

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 22, 2026

Miami is now 31-27, putting them seventh in the East as they embark on a two-game road trip starting Tuesday against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The post Norman Powell, Tyler Herro admit Heat’s main goal relating to play-in tournament appeared first on ClutchPoints.

With just 1:19 remaining in the fourth quarter and the game well out of reach, Memphis guard Scottie Pippen Jr. and Miami forward Myron Gardner were both ejected after a physical altercation spilled into the front row.

Scotty Pippen Jr. and Myron Gardner were both ejected for this altercation. pic.twitter.com/3q2Sy5SMrb

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 22, 2026

The friction started when Gardner delivered a “cheap shot” from behind just as Pippen released a 3-pointer. Pippen didn’t take kindly to the contact, immediately charging at Gardner and shoving him toward the stands at Kaseya Center. The two briefly wrestled on the floor before coaches and officials could separate them.

Before the fireworks, the Heat put on a clinic, securing a dominant 136-120 victory. Andrew Wiggins led the charge with an incredibly efficient 28 points on 9-of-10 shooting, even reaching 15,000 career points during the third quarter. Norman Powell added 25 points of his own, helping Miami pull away with a 39-26 third-quarter run.

The Grizzlies, still playing without star guard Ja Morant due to an elbow injury, struggled to find a defensive rhythm. However, young forward GG Jackson provided a bright spot, exploding for a season-high 28 points.

Before his exit, Pippen Jr. was having a productive night off the bench, tallying 18 points, six assists, and two steals in 21 minutes. Jaylen Wells also chipped in 25 points for the Grizzlies, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Miami’s 36-assist performance and hot shooting.

The loss marks the 11th defeat in 14 games for Memphis, while the Heat improve their standing in the Eastern Conference. Both players now face the possibility of fines or suspensions as the league reviews the tape of the wrestling match in the corner.

The post Scottie Pippen Jr pushes Myron Gardner into the stands in Grizzlies-Heat showdown appeared first on ClutchPoints.

There are duos on the team that still have yet to see the light of day with how much time Herro has missed, as he’s been absent not just for the 15 games before Friday’s win, but in 45 games total with a myriad of issues. In relief, the rookie in Jakucionis has been getting extended minutes either off the bench or at some points in the starting lineup.

Ever since Jan. 15 against the Boston Celtics, Jakucionis has logged double-digit minutes in every game, showing the trust that’s been building with head coach Erik Spoelstra. On Friday, when both Herro and Jakucionis were on the floor, it made for a dynamic one-two punch in the backcourt as the rookie put the star in spots to score, also getting the attention of Spoelstra, who noticed a “synergy” brewing.

“Obviously, we haven’t seen a lot of them, just because of the availability, but skill level, talent, offensive talent, just without them spending a ton of time together, you can see how there can be a synergy,” Spoelstra said before the team took on the Grizzlies on Saturday night. “Kas [Jakucionis] is a playmaker. He plays with pace, he wants to kick the ball ahead, he wants to get the ball to guys almost to a fault, and you can see how last night, he was just looking for Tyler like every time.”

Erik Spoelstra on the time last night when Tyler Herro and Kasparas Jakucionis were on the court together: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/j6YsK8eKpl

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 21, 2026

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra speaks on Kasparas Jakucionis improving

While Jakucionis possesses some unique qualities for the Heat, as he was drafted with the 20th overall pick in the last NBA Draft, he gives the team a true point guard with potentially elite play-making abilities, an archetype the roster has been looking for.

Only at 19 years old, there’s no denying the raw talent, though Jakucionis has been recording consistent minutes, averaging 22.7 minutes in February so far. His improvement has been noticeable in his first season, with even Spoelstra speaking about the “work ethic” of the Illinois product.

“So I’m encouraged by the possibilities with that, but Kas just continues to get better,” Spoelstra said. “If you watch where he was in summer league compared to now, that’s really a credit to his work ethic. He spent a lot of time with Coach Quinn and all the pre-practice and post-practice sessions. You know, he’s improved quite a bit. He’s earned this.”

It remains to be seen how Jakucionis’ role looks with the team getting healthier, though with Davion Mitchell missing Saturday’s game with a head illness, the rookie would even get the start over Herro, as the team manages the star’s minutes off the injury. Still, Herro led the Heat and the entire game with 24 points on nine of 14 shooting from the field, two of four from deep.

At any rate, the team is looking to find consistency, as before Saturday’s tilt hosting Memphis, the team was 30-27, which puts them eighth in the Eastern Conference. After, the Heat travels to take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.

The post Heat’s Tyler Herro developing crucial ‘synergy’ with Miami rookie, Erik Spoelstra says appeared first on ClutchPoints.

It had been a recurring trend that Miami’s injury report would be filled with issues, with Herro being at the forefront as he’s missed 45 of the 57 games played so far. But coming off a much-needed All-Star break, the team dominated with a healthy roster, possibly displaying the winning ways from early in the season.

Even with the myriad of injuries, Spoelstra has touted the team’s depth, and though it’s only one game, he said Friday’s victory had a different feeling.

“I have a lot of positive feelings about our team and our depth, we’ve used it all season long,” Spoelstra said to ClutchPoints before Saturday’s game. “We’ve used it when guys have been out, and last night was an example of when we had our full roster, you could feel the depth. You could feel the level of talent, you know, that we have on the roster. It is just one game, but we have to build and stack. I have no problem with our guys feeling great about the game coming out of the break, and now we have another one that’s behind us. And we want to build some consistency.”

Asked Erik Spoelstra if last night is a glimmer of how he envisioned the team going into the season as it was the healthiest it’s been.

“You could feel the level of talent that we have on the roster, it’s just one game, but we have to build…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/4SKbWumWJs

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 21, 2026

Tyler Herro headlines the Heat’s “legit” strength

With the Heat’s star in Herro coming back, it has given the team a chance to see which rotations work and which don’t, though there is still more to work on. Especially when it comes to Herro and Norman Powell, and with the former coming off the bench in his first game, the two only played three minutes together.

Still, others, such as Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Pelle Larsson, and others benefited from a healthy roster. Spoelstra even said after the win how Miami has “legit depth.”

“We have legit depth, we’ve been talking about it all year,” Spoelstra said after Friday’s win over the Hawks. “But when you have guys out, the depth is used to plug in and fill in some gaps when guys are out. But when we have everybody available, we look a lot different. This is one game, but this is something that we’ve felt about our team for a while. We just have our guys available right now.”

There’s no doubt that it helps someone like captain Bam Adebayo, who had been carrying more weight than usual with the uncertainty of who would be available or not.

“You love a team that has that much depth,” Adebayo said after recording 17 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in Atlanta. “Because now you’ve got different people that can step up at any moment. And throughout the rest of the season and going into the playoffs, you need that.”

Though Davion Mitchell and Nikola Jovic are out for Saturday, the health of the team seems to be heading in the right direction.

At any rate, Miami looks to stack wins as the team is 30-27, eighth in the Eastern Conference, before Saturday’s home game against the Grizzlies.

The post Erik Spoelstra makes feelings clear on Heat’s ‘legit’ X-factor appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Highsmith spoke during his media availability Saturday about the impact Miami had on his growth as a professional.

“The Heat were the first team to really give me an opportunity. I learned a lot there defensively, work-wise, just how to approach every day as a pro and that’s really helped me in the long run. Obviously, I built some good character around the league and a lot of people respect me.”

Highsmith spent parts of multiple seasons with Miami, carving out a role as a versatile wing capable of defending multiple positions and spacing the floor. Last season with the Heat, he averaged 6.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 74 games, including 42 starts. He shot 45.8% from the field and 38.2% from 3-point range while logging 24.6 minutes per contest.

Haywood Highsmith on what he learned playing in Miami

“The Heat were the first team to really give me an opportunity. I learned a lot there defensively, about the work, and how to approach every day as a pro. That’s helped me in the long run… I built good character around… pic.twitter.com/VqXoLg4gD0

— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) February 21, 2026

Heat experience shapes Haywood Highsmith’s veteran presence with Suns

After the Brooklyn Nets waived him, Highsmith signed a two-year veteran minimum contract with Phoenix. The 29-year-old is currently recovering from right knee surgery in August to repair a torn meniscus. Shane Young of the Suns’ official site reported that Highsmith will be reevaluated in two to three weeks.

Highsmith also outlined what he believes he can bring to Phoenix’s locker room as he works toward returning to the court.

“I think just overall, just bringing that winning aspect, that experience, and just knowing how it’s going to be each day – like I said, playoff moments, huddles, timeouts, and being there for the young guys here as well as I was in Brooklyn. I was a leader there so just trying to bring everything I can and be a good vet, a solid vet.”

The Suns (32-24) are seeking stability as they navigate the second half of the season. Phoenix will attempt to snap a two-game skid when it hosts the Orlando Magic (29-25) on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. PT on NBA TV.

Highsmith’s experience in Miami’s playoff environment and his reputation as a steady defender could provide added depth once he returns to full health.

The post Suns’ Haywood Highsmith credits Heat for shaping his career appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Herro was electric in his first contest back after missing the prior 15 games with a injury listed as “right costochondral; injury to the ribs,” which started when the guard fractured three ribs on Jan. 10. Though he played three games after off of Torodol shots to suppress the pain, he would miss time, leading to Friday where Spoelstra had him come off the bench, saying they are managing his minutes and trying to “maximize” the rest of the season.

“Right now we’re just trying to get him out there,” Spoelstra said, according to The Miami Herald. “We are going to manage the minutes. I’m not overthinking it, I’m not putting anything in cement, I don’t have a timeline for anything.”

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra on the fit with Tyler Herro and Norman Powell

After Herro returned to Heat practice on Thursday, there’s no denying that the team is being relatively cautious as the guard has missed 45 out of 57 games this season with a myriad of injuries.

Herro also came off the bench in Jan. 6’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves after coming back from a 13-game absence due to a toe contusion. But Herro returned to the starting lineup the next game, which could signal the same result for the current predicament.

A pairing that was intriguing coming into the season was with him and Powell, but Friday had them run different lineups, with the two playing three minutes together. But, Spoelstra would say those two will have more minutes together, as Powell even emphasized the “versatility” those two have in their fit together.

“That will work,” Spoelstra said of playing Herro and Powell together. “I’m not even at all overthinking that one.”

It remains to be seen how Herro’s role evolves, especially along with Norman Powell, as Miami next takes on the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.

The post Erik Spoelstra’s ‘maximize’ take regarding Tyler Herro coming off Heat bench in injury return appeared first on ClutchPoints.

It has been a frustrating season, to say the least, for Herro, who, besides missing 15 games with a ribs injury, has been absent for 45 of the 57 games played by Miami. In Friday’s win, he came off the bench scoring a game-high 24 points on nine of 14 shooting from the field, two of four from deep, to go along with four rebounds and three assists.

His No. 1 goal is to stay healthy with 25 contests left, saying, “That’s all on my mind,” according to The Miami Herald.

“I just want to get out here and play with the whole team, get comfortable, and just stack some healthy games together,” Herro said. “Just try to play a stretch of games where I’m healthy.”

“Just happy to be playing basketball again,” Herro continued. “It’s been a rough couple months, going through different knick-knack injuries.”

Heat’s Tyler Herro on how his ribs feel

While the Heat guard in Herro returned to practice on Thursday, he’s coming off a ribs injury that was listed by the team as “right costochondral; injury to the ribs,” which is the joints that connect the ribs to cartilage. After suffering three fractured ribs in Jan. 10’s loss to the Indiana Pacers, he would play the next three off of Torodol shots to suppress the pain, but would miss the time.

“I haven’t looked at my ribs. We haven’t done another image, but I feel good,” said Herro. “I’ve taken some hits there in the last couple of days, and it feels a thousand times better than it did prior to. So I feel good. I don’t know what the actual rib looks like if I were to take a picture of it, an MRI, or something. But I feel good.”

At any rate, Herro looks to continue helping Miami as the team is 30-27, with their next game on Saturday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.

The post Heat’s Tyler Herro reveals crucial goal for rest of season: ‘That’s all on my mind’ appeared first on ClutchPoints.

It’s been a frustrating season to say the least for Herro, as, besides missing the last 15 contests, he’s been absent for 45 out of the 57 games played so far. Coming off the bench in the win in Atlanta, he led the team with 24 points on nine of 14 shooting from the field, two of four from deep, to go along with four rebounds and three assists.

For Adebayo, who recorded 17 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, it’s not surprising to see how Herro can impact Miami, but he did sense the guard having an “edge” to him.

“We know what Tyler can do — it’s not a shocker…but I feel like he had an edge about himself today, and he showed that,” Adebayo said, via video from the team, posted on X, formerly Twitter, by HeatCulture.

Bam Adebayo on Tyler Herro’s return:

“We know what Tyler can do — it’s not a shocker…but I feel like he had an edge about himself today and he showed that.”

24 points in 23 minutes from Herro pic.twitter.com/6EOI01Hr19

— 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙩𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 (@WadexFlash) February 21, 2026

It’s the 11th game played this season by Herro, which was an “encouraging” sign to see, as echoed by head coach Erik Spoelstra.

“It was definitely encouraging,” Spoelstra said. “Obviously, it’s been a unique season for him. We know how competitive he is; we know how much he wants to be out there. But those are the things you can’t control. But we have never forgotten about the talent that he brings. He changes our dynamic quite a bit.”

Heat’s Tyler Herro speaks on his return from the ribs injury

While the Heat are looking to turn around their season after remaining close to a .500 record and eighth in the Eastern Conference, Herro’s involvement can display the totality of what this team is really like. At the end of the day, Herro’s health is paramount to the ceiling this team can reach.

“It felt great,” Herro said. “Ultimately, just being out there was what felt amazing. Being out there with my teammates, playing in the game, and being able to go through my routine again. It felt good.”

The focus now shifts to what his role on the will look like, whether he continues to come off the bench or return to the starting lineup. After missing 13 games with a toe contusion, Spoelstra would have him come off the bench in Jan. 6’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he would return to the starting lineup after.

“Right now we’re just trying to get him out there,” Spoelstra said. “We are going to manage the minutes. I’m not overthinking it, I’m not putting anything in cement, I don’t have a timeline for anything.”

It remains to be seen, but the answer will be revealed quickly as Miami takes on the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night.

The post Bam Adebayo explains ‘edge’ Tyler Herro had in Heat return from ribs injury appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Here’s everything we know about Tyler Herro and Norman Powell’s injuries and their playing status vs. the Hawks.

*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)*

Tyler Herro, Norman Powell injury status vs. Hawks

Given Tyler Herro is probable on the injury report, the expectation is that he will suit up at least for limited minutes against the Hawks. Herro has missed significant time this season after suffering three fractured ribs during a January loss to Indiana, forcing him to sit out 15 consecutive games entering the All-Star break.

The timing of his return is crucial for a Miami team sitting 29–27 and eighth in the Eastern Conference, just two games behind the sixth seed as the playoff race tightens.

Herro has been productive when available, averaging 21.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 49.7% from the field and 35.8% from three across limited appearances. The Heat’s offense has slipped from 13th in offensive rating (115.7) early in the season to 22nd (112.6) during his absence.

Norman Powell’s status is less certain. The veteran wing is listed as questionable with lower-back tightness after missing the Heat’s final two games before the break.

Powell has been one of Miami’s most consistent scorers, averaging 23 points per game while ranking among the league’s better perimeter threats with 2.9 made three-pointers per game.

Heat injury report

Tyler Herro — Probable (Right costochondral rib injury)

Norman Powell — Questionable (Low back tightness)

Keshad Johnson — Questionable (Left calf soreness)

Terry Rozier — Out (Not with team)

Andrew Wiggins — Available (Toe inflammation)

Pelle Larsson — Available (Finger injury)

Simone Fontecchio — Available (Illness)

Dru Smith — Available (Ankle soreness)

Kasparas Jakucionis — Available (Ankle inflammation)

Hawks injury report

Jonathan Kuminga — Out (Knee)

The post Are Tyler Herro, Norman Powell playing tonight? Heat vs. Hawks injury report appeared first on ClutchPoints.

With 26 games left in the season, Joviv is looking to help Miami win games any way he possibly can, though his minutes have been up-and-down, averaging 17.9 minutes, the least since his rookie season. There’s no doubt that it’s been a rough season for Jovic, getting used to the team’s new fast-paced style of offense, as he’s averaging 7.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 37 percent from the field and 27.2 percent from deep.

The “repetitive” area that Heat’s Nikola Jovic is looking to get rid of

Jovic spoke to ClutchPoints in a one-on-one interview after Thursday’s practice, and emphasized how there’s been a “repetitive” trend this season with his inconsistent outings and conversations with head coach Erik Spoelstra.

When it comes to his performances, he cites how he’ll play well for a few games, then regress, lose playing time, and then find himself out of the rotation. Looking to erase that trend, Jovic is certain it’s not a mental issue that’s hampering him.

“Spo [Spoelstra] called me a few times in his office. And it’s usually the same thing, he always asks me, how can he help me?… But at this point, usually the same; I’ll play good for a couple of games, and my minutes will go down, and then I’ll be out of the rotation. I’ll come back, look good again. And it’s kind of getting repetitive to the point where when I sit with Spo, it’s like we’re just trying to understand what to do.”

“But it’s not easy, but like I said, it’s not a confidence thing. I really believe in myself. I know how good I am. It’s just a weird season, the way we play, the way the team works. You know, it’s just weird. But Spo is really trying to help me, and I’m really trying to help the team. It’s just at this point, it’s really repetitive, where kind of the same things are going…So, yeah, we’re still trying to figure stuff out.”

Heat’s Nikola Jovic on a much-needed All-Star break

With the Heat looking to turn around their season, Jovic is looking to do the same individually, as he’s shown many flashes throughout his young career that he could help the team in a myriad of ways. The team feels the same way, as the 2022 first-round pick was rewarded with a four-year, $62.4 million contract extension back in October.

Having the ability to be a point-forward, giving positional versatility to Miami, he’s looking to get back to providing key minutes off the bench or when he’s in the starting lineup. There’s no doubt that a reset was needed for Jovic as the All-Star break comes at a perfect time, saying to ClutchPoints that it helped physically to rest the body, but also take his mind off of basketball for a bit.

“Coming off a tough Eurobasket that I had, I came right here, and I was trying to look as good as possible. So I didn’t really stop working out. So this break really helped my minor injuries that I had, kind of settled down,” Jovic said. “Mentally, it was good. I was with a couple of my friends. It was a good thing for me mentally, just not thinking much about basketball, but at the same time, trying to figure out what I want to do and how I want to make sure I look better when I come back.”

Jovic would speak on the importance of the mental side being well taken care of and important for any basketball player, but would double down on how that hasn’t been a hurdle this season.

“I’m happy every morning I wake up, I’m happy every time I go to sleep. And I think that’s something that’s really important,” Jovic said. “Basketball is something that I know I’m good at. And even though maybe some people think I’m not doing great this year…I feel like also I’m not maybe the best version of myself…but I don’t think it has anything to do with the mental side of things”.

Heat’s Nikola Jovic on if the offense is leading to his down season

There could be a ton of conversations about why Jovic has been struggling to find a consistent role this season, with one of the potential reasons being the new offensive identity that the Heat have been implementing. Though starting electric with a 14-7 start, the team has regressed to the middle, but Miami still averages 119.6 points per game (fifth in the NBA) and leads the league in pace with 104.87 possessions per 48 minutes.

For Jovic, he would say that his down season has “maybe” to do with the new offense, but leans more that it’s not a byproduct of the system.

“I mean, it’s a maybe, you really never know,” Jovic said. “The weird thing is, we talk about how better we look, but the reality is, we have the same record as last year, you know. And people thought we were looking really bad last year. So there’s both sides. Maybe it’s because of the offense, maybe it’s because I’m not doing good enough right now. Me personally. I don’t think it has anything to do with the offense, just the way I play, the way my minutes work…”

“I started at the start of the year, after the first game already, I was eight, nine, games off the bench,” Jovic continued. “So I got removed then, and then after five games I was out of the rotation. So it was a weird season, you know. And even now, I never know when I’m gonna go in, if I’m gonna play 5, 12, or 17 minutes…So at this point, I’m just trying to help this team win.”

Heat’s Nikola Jovic speaks about his goals for the rest of the season

If there’s one thing for certain, it’s that the Heat want to get away from eighth seed purgatory and another trip to the play-in tournament, which has been the finish for the last three seasons. Jovic would echo the same sentiments, saying that his goals for the rest of the season are to help Miami win more games, with hopefully a result being he gets better.

“Help this team win as many games as possible,” Jovic said when asked what his mindset is in the remaining 26 games. “You know, it’s been the same thing since I came here, you know, basically, if I played or I didn’t play, well, it looks like we’re always finishing in the play-in, you know. And it feels weird. So we’re trying to get in the top six, where we don’t have to be in the play-in.”

“And from there, I’m trying to figure stuff out. I’m really trying to help this team win and then get to the playoffs and then figure out how to win the playoffs. So, I don’t look at my stats individually, or how I’m gonna look individually, as long as we win, I know I did my job,” Jovic continued.

As Jovic alluded to, Miami is in a familiar spot with the team having a 29-27 record and eighth in the Eastern Conference, but the start of a hopeful turnaround starts Friday against the Atlanta Hawks.

The post Exclusive: The ‘repetitive’ trend Heat’s Nikola Jovic is working to erase after All-Star break appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Miami is listing Herro as “probable” for Friday’s game as the team travels to take on the Hawks, marking a significant point in time for the guard who’s missed not just the last 15 games with the injury, but has been absent for 45 games this year.

He would miss the first 17 games of the season due to an offseason ankle injury, then 13 outings with a toe contusion, and with the injury that was listed as “Right Costochondral; Injury to the Ribs.” In terms of his role with the team in his first game since Jan. 15, he was asked Thursday afternoon if he’ll come off the bench, which is how he returned from the toe contusion on Jan. 6, but then started after that contest.

“I don’t know, we’ll see what happens if I’m able to play tomorrow. Whatever minutes I get, I’m just happy to be out here again, playing with my teammates and playing a game I love ultimately,” Herro said.

Tyler Herro speaks after returning to practice (was a full-go) after missing the last 15 games with a ribs injury. Will travel with team, but not certain if he’ll play tomorrow.

Spoke about the recovery, his frustrating season, Norman Powell being an All-Star, etc. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/FX13kYtkCE

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 19, 2026

Herro would say to ClutchPoints that he fractured three ribs, and while he played three games off Torodol shots, to manage the pain, he wasn’t going to play the entire season like that, leading to the absence.

In the 11 games he’s played, Herro has averaged 21.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from beyond the arc.

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra on Tyler Herro coming back to the rotation

While the Heat are coming off the All-Star break, the team is still looking for a level of consistency, as injuries have been one issue plaguing the team, like with Herro’s continued absence. Whatever role he’s in when Herro comes back, there’s no denying the offensive impact he brings with head coach Erik Spoelstra saying how “encouraging” it was to see the guard back at practice at full go.

“But it was very encouraging to have Tyler here in practice. You know, he had done everything he needed to do in the last few weeks to prepare for this. And it’s encouraging to have him back in the mix. We’re all excited about it,” Spoelstra said.

Erik Spoelstra speaks about Tyler Herro returning to practice and how “encouraging” it was to see him gel with the team.

Wouldn’t commit to him playing tomorrow as Herro echoed earlier. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/3f1kwQ37we

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 19, 2026

With 26 games left in the season, Spoelstra will look to find ways to get the best out of Herro, especially alongside Norman Powell and Bam Adebayo, as the trio has only played together in eight games this season. While that means less playing time for any player on the roster, Spoelstra would say there are “levels of sacrifice” that need to be made.

“Let’s not forget, Tyler’s a talent,” Spoelstra said. “We need to maximize our rotations, we need our talent out there; we’ll have to put it together fast. We know what our identity is on both sides of the floor; our guys have the buy-in to what we’re trying to do. There will be some levels of sacrifice throughout the rotation. It has to be that way if all the guys are available.”

Erik Spoelstra speaks on having to utilize different lineups with Tyler Herro coming back into the fold: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/WJ3kkC7gWF

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 19, 2026

At any rate, Miami is 29-27, putting them eighth in the Eastern Conference as Herro looks to officially return on Friday in Atlanta.

The post Heat’s Tyler Herro likely to return vs. Hawks after missing 15 games with ribs injury appeared first on ClutchPoints.

It’s been a frustrating season for Herro, as coming off an All-Star and career year in 2024-25, has missed 45 games with a myriad of injuries, only playing in 11 outings. He was absent the first 17 games of this season due to an offseason ankle surgery, then would miss 13 more with a toe contusion, which would then lead to the recent issue that was listed by Miami as “right costochondral; injury to the ribs.”

Herro returned to practice Thursday and was a full-go in the session, which no doubt opens the door for a return either on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks or Saturday vs. the Memphis Grizzlies. While he wouldn’t commit to a return on Friday, he told ClutchPoints that, “I feel just as good as last year, actually.”

The 26-year-old also went into how “unique” the injury was, saying how he fractured three ribs, and while he played three games off Torodol shots, which manages pain, it wasn’t a season-long plan.

“It was unique,” Herro said to ClutchPoints. “Once I knew what it was, it was just a matter of relaxing and letting my body recover. There’s nothing I could magically do to fix my ribs; I had three, like, fractured ribs. So my ribs were in a lot of pain, just doing normal lifestyle, things I couldn’t do, so there was no way I could play basketball. I played the first three games off of Torodol shots, and it was cool, but I couldn’t do that for the rest of the season, so it was a matter of just letting this thing calm down.”

Tyler Herro speaks after returning to practice (was a full-go) after missing the last 15 games with a ribs injury. Will travel with team, but not certain if he’ll play tomorrow.

Spoke about the recovery, his frustrating season, Norman Powell being an All-Star, etc. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/FX13kYtkCE

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 19, 2026

Heat’s Tyler Herro on his injury-riddled season

While there had been concern involving Herro and the Heat regarding injuries, the star is hoping to close out the final 26 games on a high and healthy note, expressing how there isn’t much discomfort anymore. It was so bad that he had trouble getting out of his bed, as Herro noted, but it has progressed to the point where he can “fully move” the way he needs to play basketball.

“Yeah, it’s been real, real frustrating,” Herro on his injury-riddled season. “Obviously, as a competitor, somebody who loves playing the game more than anything, that’s what I do. Obviously, it’s what I do as a living, but I love the game of basketball, so it’s hard for me to just sit out and not be able to play. It’s never easy on me. So happy to be back out here, it’s been a rough year for me…so I’m just gonna try to stay healthy and try to put some good basketball here together in the last couple months.”

It remains to be seen what Herro’s role looks like when coming back, as coming off the toe contusion, he played the first game off that injury off the bench to ease him in, then led to the starting lineup. Either way, it’s “encouraging” to get Herro back with the team, as head coach Erik Spoelstra echoed the same sentiments.

“See how he responds when we get to Atlanta,” Spoelstra said. “But it was very encouraging to have Tyler here in practice. You know, he had done everything he needed to do in the last few weeks to prepare for this. And it’s encouraging to have him back in the mix. We’re all excited about it.”

Erik Spoelstra speaks about Tyler Herro returning to practice and how “encouraging” it was to see him gel with the team.

Wouldn’t commit to him playing tomorrow as Herro echoed earlier. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/3f1kwQ37we

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 19, 2026

At any rate, Miami is 29-27, which puts them eighth in the Eastern Conference, as they travel to take on the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.

The post Heat’s Tyler Herro reveals ‘unique’ injury recovery amid practice return appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Herro had missed the last 15 games due to what Miami listed as “right costochondral; injury to the ribs,” as more information has come out via The Miami Herald about the injury. Suffering the injury in the team’s Jan. 10 loss to the Indiana Pacers, Herro had played the next three games with the help of Toradol shots, but an MRI revealed the severity of the injury.

Fast forward to the present, Herro’s return to playing games appears to be imminent, or in Anthony Chiang’s words, “in the coming days.”

“According to a league source, Herro has been recovering from three fractured ribs after suffering a buckle rib fracture,” Chiang wrote.

“But Herro will soon make his return, as he’s expected to take part in Thursday’s practice and is expected to return to game action in the coming days, barring a setback,” Chiang continued.

Heat’s Tyler Herro has the “resolve” to get through challenging season

While the timeline around the Heat guard had been unclear for a while, it has no doubt been a frustrating season for Herro, who, besides missing the last 15 games, has missed 45 total games this season out of 56. He was absent for the first 17 games of the season due to an offseason ankle surgery, as he would then miss 13 contests with a toe contusion, and then came the rib injury.

It has been challenging for Herro, but he has the “resolve” to get through everything, as head coach Erik Spoelstra echoed to ClutchPoints on Jan. 31.

“The one thing I do know about Tyler after spending so many years with him is he has resolve. He has grit. He fights through and focuses on the things that he can control…I’ve always admired that quality about him,” Spoelstra said.

No update on Herro, but would ask Erik Spoelstra about the disappointment from him missing close to 40 games with a myriad of injuries.

“The one thing I know about Tyler…is he has resolve…right now, it’s just getting healthy and they’ll put in the work…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/8egipXHHzI

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) January 31, 2026

If there’s one thing for sure, Miami could use Herro’s offense with the team 29-27, putting them eighth in the East. Herro could return for the Heat on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks or Saturday when the team hosts the Memphis Grizzlies.

The post Heat rumors: Tyler Herro’s injury return expected ‘in the comings days’ appeared first on ClutchPoints.

According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Gardner and Miami have agreed to a three-year standard contract, having played well while being a two-way player. This contract now has Miami’s 15th roster spot filled, the maximum a team can have, though a two-way opening has cleared up.

The other two-way player spots are filled by Vladislav Goldin and Jahmir Young, as Gardner has seen extended minutes recently by head coach Erik Spoelstra, especially with some of the injuries happening to the team. Gardner has even started four times for the team, averaging 11.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 55.2 percent from the field and 53.8 percent from three-point range.

Besides his ability on the court, Gardner is known for the physicality, personality, and energy he brings to the Heat, with Norman Powell explaining how beneficial it is for them.

“Myron is a character. I love Myron. He’s always high energy, high octane,” Powell said to ClutchPoints on Jan. 18. “He’s always bumping and running into you; it’s always a positive energy, positive light coming from him. I’m encouraging everybody. He has everybody laughing and joking around. But when he steps on there, he goes 125%, 150% every single time. And we need that.”

Asked Norman Powell about the impact Myron Gardner had:

“Myron is a character, I love Myron. He’s always high energy, high octane…he’s encouraging everybody, he has everybody laughing and joking around, but when he steps out there, he goes 125%, 150% every time…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/2Ufy8RSgU1

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) January 18, 2026

Heat’s Bam Adebayo on needing teammates like Myron Gardner

As Gardner will continue to energize the Heat throughout the rest of the season, he’s been doing the same with the team’s G League affiliate team, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Active on the glass and making his presence known, the 24-year-old already has the respect from Miami, with captain Bam Adebayo emphasizing his vital role.

“You need teammates like him, like throw him in the game, and he’s gonna play as hard as possible. But when Myron checks in the game, you instantly feel a difference,” Adebayo said on Jan. 21.

Bam Adebayo on the “kid energy” that Myron Gardner has after standout outing:

“I can't describe Myron, but you need teammates like him. Throw him in the game & he's going to play as hard as possible.. when Myron checks in the game, you instantly feel a difference…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/h8RR8FaOqx

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) January 18, 2026

At any rate, Gardner looks to be part of helping the Heat turn around their season, with them being 29-27, putting them eighth in the Eastern Conference, as their next game is on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks.

The post Heat fill 15th roster spot with 3-year contract for undrafted standout appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Check our Sneakers news for more upcoming releases and breaking content!

On July 8, 2010, the entire world sat and watched LeBron James as he presented himself on national television to announce where he would be signing in the upcoming season. Becoming known as “The Decision,” the moment James left Cleveland to chase championships alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh created a whole new reason for fans to hate the best player in the league.

However, as most fans look back in hindsight, the “decision” only elevated the league as a whole and helped cement LeBron James in the GOAT discussion alongside Michael Jordan. This next colorway is titled “Good Intentions” and is loosely inspired by James’ decision to come to Miami.

Nike LeBron 23 “Good Intentions”

OFFICIAL PHOTOS: Nike LeBron 23 Elite “Good Intentions”

RELEASE DETAILS: https://t.co/0cJZFWTAFD pic.twitter.com/BmIKybb4TO

— Sneaker Bar Detroit (@SBDetroit) February 17, 2026

OFFICIAL LOOK: Nike LeBron 23 Elite “Good Intentions” @KingJames

Inspired by LeBron making “The Decision” in 2010. Features split crowns, gold accents, and pink as a nod to the red and white shirt he wore.

March 3rd
IB9557-601
$235 pic.twitter.com/uoC1wP7gky

— Sole Retriever (@SoleRetriever) February 17, 2026

The newest colorway arrives in Hyper Pink/Black-Voltage Green-Alabaster for a loud look that immediately draws parallels to the classic Miami Floridians uniforms worn by the Heat during LeBron’s tenure. The fabric upper and “crown” midsole on the medial side are all done in hyper pink, a slight nod to the light red shirt worn by James during “The Decision.”

The lateral side features an electric gold crown midsole to match the iridescent hue throughout the midfoot. Silver jeweled Nike Swooshes are seen throughout, accenting the black Nike LeBron logos along the back heel. Pink laces and a translucent pink outsole finish the look as the pair is expected to come in specialized packaging as well.

The Nike LeBron 23 “Good Intentions” will release March 3, 2026 via Nike SNKRS app for a retail tag of $235. The shoes will release on Nike SNKRS app in full adult sizing as well as GS sizing with adjusted pricing. Expect a wider release at select Nike retailers as stock quantities should be bountiful.

The post LeBron James echoes ‘Good Intentions’ with latest Nike LeBron 23 release appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Powell had said time and time again about a goal of his wanting to be an All-Star in his career, as after being considered a snub by many last year with the Los Angeles Clippers, he would finally get the honors in his first season with Miami. Leading the Heat with 23 points per game and bringing the team an offensive gutpunch with Tyler Herro’s injury-riddled season, he earned his place.

Heat’s Norman Powell speaks on his “amazing” All-Star weekend

Besides taking part in the All-Star game, representing Jamaica in Team World under the new format, he also competed in the three-point contest, trying to keep the title in Miami after Herro won it last year. Though not winning that, it was still an “A-plus” weekend for Powell, who is now looking “inward” to lead the Heat.

“Experience was amazing, no complaints,” Powell said, according to The Miami Herald. “Being able to participate in a full weekend for the first time, the Three-Point contest and the All-Star Game. Just enjoying and creating memories with all the guys that I’ve gone up against and competed with and looked up to before I even made it to the NBA. So it’s an A-plus weekend for me.”

“As a leader, the first thing you got to do if you want to make change and be the example for the team and how we need to play and what we want to go out and accomplish, you got to look inward,” Powell said. “And so I’ve already had some thoughts and talks with my trainer…how I need to come out mentally, and what I need to do to get this team on track.”

As part of Team World, Powell played two games off the bench, going scoreless in the first but recording five points in the second. With Powell being the 12th player in Heat history to be selected to the All-Star game, the goal now is turning around Miami, which is 29-27 and eighth in the Eastern Conference.

The post Norman Powell shifting focus back to Heat turnaround after ‘A-plus’ All-Star experience appeared first on ClutchPoints.

After an event on Sunday, Antetokounmpo would be asked by a fan if people would see him in Miami sometime this year, with the star player responding funnily.

“Giannis, will we see you in Miami this year?”

“For vacation,” Antetokounmpo responded.

“Giannis, will we see you in Miami this year?”

Giannis Antetokounmpo: “For vacation.”

(via courtsidemiami/ TikTok)pic.twitter.com/I9ZEe38ILV

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 16, 2026

Playing on the fact that the Heat have long been rumored to be linked to Antetokounmpo, and that it’s also a popular vacation spot for many people, it seemed like the 31-year-old couldn’t help himself.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is “committed” to the Bucks

While the Bucks kept Antetokounmpo past the trade deadline, there s that hindicateds ready for a new home either. 5 or in the upcoming offseason. However, his current focus right now for the rest of the season is being “committed” to Milwaukee, as he said to Malika Andrews in an interview this weekend.

“As of today, I’m committed to the Milwaukee Bucks, I’m committed to the people that I work with, my teammates, the coaching staff, coach Doc [Rivers], and Jon [Horst] in the front office,” Antetokounmpo said. “You will never hear me say I don’t want to be a Milwaukee Buck. I am a winner, and I’m extremely loyal.”

“If there were ever be a scenario of me not being a Milwaukee Buck no more, I don’t want anybody to ever think like ‘Hey man, I quit on my team because this is my team and I love it.'”

Giannis:

"As of today I'm committed to the Milwaukee Bucks, I'm committed to the people that I work with, my teammates, the coaching staff, coach Doc and Jon in the front office…you will never hear me say I don't want to be a Milwaukee Buck. I am a winner and I'm extremely… pic.twitter.com/ihRNC7zw3q

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) February 15, 2026

It remains to be seen what Antetokounmpo’s future looks like with the Bucks, but there’s much work to be done in the present time with the team at a 23-30 record, which puts them 12th in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee’s first game after the All-Star break is on Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans.

The post Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo makes vacation joke when asked about Miami appeared first on ClutchPoints.

He suited up for Team World in the mini-tournament, losing both of their assignments in the round robin and failing to advance to the final. In two games, Powell, who has Jamaican heritage, went scoreless against Team Stars before contributing five points, two rebounds, and one assist versus Team Stripes.

Regardless of the outcome, it was a memorable evening for Powell, who is enjoying a breakout campaign with the Heat. He has truly come a long way, starting as a bench player for the Toronto Raptors in 2015.

The 32-year-old shooter even recalled being in disbelief over working out with then-Raptors star DeMar DeRozan for the first time at UCLA after being drafted.

“Just because being a So Cal (Southern California) kid, knowing everything DeMar did at Compton, watching his highlight videos when I was in high school, so sharing a court with him, working out with him, playing one-on-one, it was one of those moments,” said Powell in a video posted by The Score.

“After we were done, I called my boys, like, ‘Yeah, I just got a workout with DeMar, I just scored on him.’ So that’s probably my first moment of ‘Man, I can’t believe it.'”

Norman Powell couldn't believe he got to work out with DeMar DeRozan before he was drafted: "I called my boys after like 'I just got a work out in with DeMar and I scored on him."

Presented by @TangerineBank pic.twitter.com/mR2sN5RkSF

— theScore (@theScore) February 15, 2026

Powell lived out his childhood dream, being teammates with DeRozan for four years before the latter was traded to the San Antonio Spurs, along with Jakob Poeltl and a first-round pick, in exchange for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green.

While Powell was sad to see his idol go, Leonard led the Raptors to the championship in 2019.

Now that he and DeRozan, who is now with the Sacramento Kings, are at different stages of their careers, it is great to hear Powell looking back at his humble beginnings.

The post Heat’s Norman Powell recalls his disbelief over first moment with DeMar DeRozan appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Wade shined as one of the most athletic and speediest guards during his best years in the NBA with the Heat. He created unforgettable highlights at the rim, rarely shying away with ferocious dunks against opposing teams.

Wade holds the record for the most dunks from a guard in NBA history, with 1,098 career slams. Kobe Bryant (1,001) and Vince Carter (941) come right after him in that statistic.

However, he never got the invitation to take part in the annual dunk contest during All-Star Weekend throughout his career. Wade uploaded a Feb. 15 episode of The Timeout podcast, where he seemed to have frustration towards never getting any opportunity to participate.

“I’m going to name one person that never got in a dunk contest, is one of the greatest dunkers in the game of basketball. Flash. Myself. Most dunks by a guard in the history of the game, never got in the dunk contest,” Wade said at the 0:45 mark.

“I’m the number one guard in the history of the NBA, by far by the way, and never got asked to be in the dunk contest… I don’t know if I ever would because I never was asked.”

How Dwyane Wade played throughout Heat career

It would’ve been intriguing to see what dunks Dwyane Wade would attempt if he got the chance to be in the dunk contest. Despite his absence from the competition throughout his career, he made up for it by wowing many crowds all over the country with his memorable highlights.

Wade played 16 years in the NBA from 2003 to 2019, most with the Heat. He won three championships while earning 13 All-Star selections and eight All-NBA selections. He earned his place in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.

Wade left a strong impact on the game, especially for the Heat. He goes down as their most loyal and greatest player in franchise history, cementing himself as a legend.

The post Heat legend Dwyane Wade reveals he was never asked to join dunk contest appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The second-year forward, who went undrafted in 2024, set the tone early by bringing out Bay Area legend E-40 for his first dunk. After jumping over the rapper to earn a 47.4 score, Johnson stayed steady enough through the first round to advance to the final.

"Little Keshad, he dreamed of everything. Anything he put his mind to, I'm sure he believed he could do it… I'm sure I made little Keshad proud…"@kj_showtime0 reflects on his younger self after being being crowned 2026 @ATT Slam Dunk Champ! pic.twitter.com/bu8boqlEKm

— NBA (@NBA) February 15, 2026

That is where things truly heated up. Johnson opened the championship round with an electric, between-the-legs reverse jam from underneath the backboard that earned a massive 49.6 from the judges.

Bryant nearly stole the show with the only perfect 50 of the night on a smooth between-the-legs slam of his own. However, the rookie faltered on his final attempt, settling for a 43.0 after several misses.

Johnson seized the opportunity, soaring from just inside the free-throw line for a ferocious one-handed windmill. That dunk earned him a 47.8 and a final round total of 97.4, comfortably clearing Bryant’s 93.0 aggregate score.

When Hall of Famer Julius Erving handed Johnson the trophy, the emotion was visible. Johnson reflected on his journey from an undrafted dreamer to a champion on the league’s biggest stage. He noted that “Little Keshad” believed he could do anything he put his mind to, and after his performance in L.A., there is no doubt that his younger self would be beaming with pride. It was a victory for the high-flyer.

The post Heat’s Keshad Johnson knows he made ‘Little Keshad’ proud with Dunk Contest win appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The famed Bay Area Hip-Hop legend accompanied the competitor to the court. E-40 later became a prop for Johnson’s sweet slam that ignited the Intuit Dome crowd.

Without dribbling, Johnson sprinted toward E-40’s back…and cleared that hurdle:

Keshad Johnson CLEARS E-40 with ease for his first dunk

pic.twitter.com/9kWfgsS3as

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 15, 2026

The lights flickered and fans went wild for Johnson’s throwdown. And that dunk propelled Johnson to the ’26 slam dunk title.

KESHAD JOHNSON IS YOUR 2026 SLAM DUNK CHAMPION pic.twitter.com/l31lfSi79p

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 15, 2026

But fans also lost their minds seeing the rapper born Earl Stevens on the floor. However, both share a notable connection.

Heat’s Keshad Johnson’s ties to E-40 revealed

The rookie is winning over Erik Spoelstra and the Heat fans down in South Beach. But Johnson’s appearance was considered a California homecoming.

He shares a notable Bay Area connection to Stevens — as he hails out of Oakland, Ca. Johnson thrived at San Leandro High before starring for San Diego State and Arizona.

Stevens rose to fame in nearby Vallejo, north of “The Town.” He became an instrumental figure in the Bay Area’s rap scene in 1986 during a time Hip-Hop watched New York and Los Angeles enter the forefront.

Stevens is now 40 years into his illustrious career as an artist — including landing in the forefront of the famed “Hyphy” movement during the mid 2000s that dominated Hip-Hop radio airwaves.

The now 58-year-old still shares no previous tie-in to the Heat. NBA fans know him as “Front Row 40” during Golden State Warriors games, which he claims as his favorite team in the league. He’s also hung out with Warriors stars Steph Curry, Draymond Green plus posed in front of the Warriors’ championships before.

Johnson and Stevens, however, catapulted Oakland into the top of Saturday’s festivities. And on the same day another “Town” legend in Damian Lillard won his third three-point competition.

The post Keshad Johnson wins 2026 NBA Slam Dunk contest thanks to insane slam over E-40 appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Speaking on the latest episode of the All the Smoke podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, the Hall of Famer reflected on the immediate aftermath of James’ return to the Cleveland Cavaliers and the direction of the Heat franchise.

“We had a squad man, I felt not to say we were gonna win it all but we could’ve competed for a championship…. I wanted to establish myself in the record books, I wanted to establish myself without LeBron to be honest with you. We wanted to win without him to be honest. It’s something to say Shaq won without Kobe, Kobe won without Shaq. I wanted to put myself in that category and on that pedestal.” Bosh continued. “I wanted to help D Wade get back to that status as well. I felt really good about our team. We were in 2nd or 3rd place. Sh*t if we get to the Eastern Conference Finals, let’s play some ball. I’m not worried about it at all.”

Earlier in the podcast, Bosh revisited the moment James informed him via a last-minute text that he would be leaving Miami. He previously admitted he “took offense” to how the decision unfolded, saying it took months before he fully processed the departure and adjusted to life without the four-time MVP.

Despite the disappointment, Bosh said he believed the Heat remained positioned to contend in the Eastern Conference. Miami finished 37-45 in the 2014-15 season after injuries limited both Bosh and Dwyane Wade. The following year, however, the team rebounded with a 48-34 record during the 2015-16 campaign.

Chris Bosh believes the Heat could’ve competed for a championship before he was sidelined with blood clots and says he wanted to prove he can win a ring without LeBron

“We had a squad man I felt not to say we were gonna win it all but we could’ve competed for a… pic.twitter.com/mMbtylmPPb

— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) February 13, 2026

Heat’s 48-win resurgence fueled Chris Bosh’s belief in post-LeBron James title hopes

The Heat advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals that season and pushed the Toronto Raptors to seven games before falling just short of a conference finals matchup against James and the Cavaliers. Bosh was sidelined for the postseason due to recurring blood clot issues, a condition that ultimately ended his playing career.

At the time of his absence, Miami sat among the top teams in the East standings, reinforcing Bosh’s belief that the group could compete at a high level without James.

“We were very confident but it just wasn’t meant to be but I eventually came to the realization that what else do you want? Don’t be greedy, you did everything bro,” Bosh said. “I was talking to me and my man, Maverick Carter, just talking and I said, it didn’t happen the way it was supposed to happen. He said, ‘it never happens the way it’s supposed to happen.’ And when he said that, I was like aw damn, you right. And it kind of put me into a mode to where I have to figure something else out because heaven forbid if something happened while I was on the court, which’s been plenty of times, I feel like I got away with enough because people die for way less. I was like, ‘I should be here’ because usually the people that have the thing that I have, they are not here anymore. I kind of just took that to heart and moved on and let it out of my system and moved on.”

Bosh’s career cut short, championship belief never wavered

Bosh averaged 21.1 points and seven rebounds during the 2014-15 season and 19.1 points and 7.4 rebounds in 2015-16 before his career was cut short. He was later inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.

While Miami never returned to the Finals during Bosh’s tenure after James’ departure, the franchise later reached the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023 under a new core led by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.

Looking back, Bosh maintained that the Heat had the talent and confidence to compete for another championship — even without James — if circumstances had unfolded differently.

The post Chris Bosh says Heat could’ve competed for title, wanted to win without LeBron James appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Speaking on the latest episode of the All the Smoke podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, the Hall of Famer reflected on Dragic’s plantar fascia tear suffered in Game 1 of the Finals inside the NBA’s Orlando bubble.

“The toughest part was watching the Heat deal with injuries. Seeing my man Goran Dragic finally get there and not be able to play. That broke my heart man. Not to say they win, but it would definitely have been a different series if he plays. Just to be able to play in the finals, I don’t care where they’re playing — if it’s the finals and the NBA, that’s a dream come true. For him not to have that full experience, that was tough. With that said, they still went out there and fought. I know what the message was definitely on both sides but specifically for the Heat,” Bosh said.

Bosh continued:

“I know a lot of people were writing them off and really not paying much attention to them but you know, when you get there, you don’t get there just to lose. You don’t get there to say, ‘ah, well good season.’ I knew for sure they were going to prepare, they were going to fight until the last man standing and you were going to have to beat those guys. And it happened, but pain is pain. I know they’ll be able to get over it and it will make them a better team and to the Lakers, man one down. Let’s see if they can keep it going.”

Dragic entered the Finals as Miami’s second-leading scorer in the 2020 postseason behind Jimmy Butler III. Across 17 playoff games, he averaged 19.1 points, 4.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds and one steal while shooting 44% from the field and 34.6% from 3-point range in 32.5 minutes per contest.

Chris Bosh believes if Goran Dragic doesn’t get hurt in the 2020 NBA finals, it would’ve been a different series:

“The toughest part was watching the Heat deal with injuries. Seeing my man Goran Dragic finally get there and not be able to play. That broke my heart man. Not to… https://t.co/5UKntMUerb pic.twitter.com/1bOzN5UWJc

— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) February 13, 2026

Chris Bosh says Goran Dragic’s injury changed Heat’s Finals fate vs. Lakers

The injury limited Dragic to just two brief appearances late in the series. Miami ultimately fell to the Lakers in six games as James secured his fourth NBA championship and fourth Finals MVP.

Despite the setback, the Heat remained competitive throughout the series, highlighted by Butler’s 40-point triple-double in Game 3 and a 35-point performance in Game 5 to force a sixth game.

Miami later returned to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022, losing in seven games to the Boston Celtics. The franchise made another Finals appearance in 2023 but fell to the Denver Nuggets in five games. Dragic was traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Kyle Lowry as the Heat reshaped their roster around Butler, Tyler Herro, and Bam Adebayo.

With the Butler-led era now concluded, Miami enters All-Star weekend at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles with a 29-27 record, sitting eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. The Heat have advanced past the play-in tournament in each of the past three seasons and remain in contention for another postseason berth this spring.

Bosh’s comments provided perspective on how injuries, particularly Dragic’s, shaped Miami’s chances against James and the Lakers during the unique bubble Finals.

The post Chris Bosh says Goran Dragic injury altered Heat’s 2020 NBA Finals series vs. Lakers appeared first on ClutchPoints.

While there is a lot to celebrate for Powell, as earning the All-Star nod has been a career goal for him, it’s also elevating Miami, as the team enters the break at 29-27, putting them eighth in the Eastern Conference. This is familiar territory for the Heat as the team has finished at the eighth seed for the last three seasons.

However, it doesn’t help that the team continually deals with injuries and players in and out of the lineup, with Powell, Pelle Larsson, Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell, and especially Tyler Herro, missing some stretches of time. Herro is the one who has been frustrating since he’s missed the last 15 games with a rib injury, and 45 games in total this season.

For Powell, despite the success this season, he explains why he is “never content,” according to The Miami Herald.

“I’m never content,” Powell said. “I’m trying to always improve, and I’m trying to see how we can improve as a team. So that’s where my mind is kind of at, and there are some areas that we need to clean up defensively and offensively.”

The fanbase is looking to see what the trio of Bam Adebayo, Powell, and Herro could be as the three have only played in eight games together. Powell has been the leading scorer, which has been a huge opportunity for him, being the “focal point.”

At any rate, Powell and others look to turn around Miami as the first game off break is next Friday against the Atlanta Hawks.

The post Norman Powell ‘never content’ amid Heat’s inconsistent season appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Powell was considered an All-Star snub by many last season with the Los Angeles Clippers, as he stood out as an offensive gutpunch for the team, especially when they were dealing with injuries to Kawhi Leonard and others.

Fast forward to this year, and Powell has shone for Miami, leading with 23 points per game, but the reason why he believes this “completes the story” is that the All-Star festivities take place in his former home of Los Angeles.

“I think this completes the story,” Powell said, according to The Miami Herald. “I think it’s like something that you can’t even write down or think of. It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, the All-Star Game is in L.A. Now I’m definitely trying to make it.’ I think it just happens that way.”

“I really thought that I’d be an All-Star last year with the team, and it didn’t happen,” Powell continued, referencing this time with the Clippers. “Moves are made, and then the venue is actually where you just got traded from, and you get selected to be one and go back there in front of the fans, in front of that organization. I think it’s just a nice little Easter egg to the story of my career.”

At any rate, Powell looks to further help the Heat as the team is at a 29-27 record, putting them at the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.

The post How Heat’s Norman Powell being an All-Star this season ‘completes the story’ appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Powell will be taking part in the Team World vs. Team USA format of the NBA All-Star game, being on the former team, representing Jamaica. With Powell on the final year of his current five-year contract, worth $90 million, he is eligible to get a four-year, $128.5 million contract.

If unable to agree with Miami on the contract extension by June 30, he would then become an unrestricted free agent, though Powell has a preference on how he wants it to play out. Powell would express how Miami has been a “perfect fit for me,” according to The Miami Herald.

“This is definitely a place that I want to be,” Powell said. “It’s been nothing but great. Coming here, getting adjusted. The organization has been amazing. I love where I’m at, I love the setup, I love the mentality, I love the approach.”

“Hopefully, there’s some good synergy from what they’ve seen that I bring to the table,” Powell continued. “And hopefully a deal is able to be done sometime. But yeah, I see myself being here and being a part of the Heat organization for however long they’ll have me.”

Heat’s Norman Powell on ‘completing the story’ with All-Star nod

While Powell got the All-Star nod on the Heat, an honor that has been a goal for the guard in his career, he will also be competing in the three-point contest this weekend, hoping to keep the title in Miami, as Tyler Herro won it last year. Still, the story writes itself on Powell.

Specifically, when it comes to being an All-Star with the Heat, being honored in Los Angeles, where he thought he should’ve been an All-Star with the Clippers, saying, “This completes the story.”

At any rate, it remains to be seen if Powell and Miami agree on an extension, as he currently leads the team with 23 points per game.

The post Norman Powell advocates for Heat contract extension: ‘Perfect fit for me” appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Speaking on the latest episode of All the Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, the Hall of Famer reflected on the abrupt end to Miami’s Big Three era.

“I thought it was BS. 10 minutes later it was everywhere,” Bosh said. “I get it but at the time I didn’t understand it. At the time I was ready to put the team back together cause we had just lost so we wanted to put something back together so we could win. And it really didn’t go like that. I took offense to it to be honest.”

James left the Heat after four consecutive NBA Finals appearances alongside Bosh and Dwyane Wade, returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a second stint. Miami had just fallen to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2014 NBA Finals.

Bosh said the emotional impact lingered well beyond the announcement.

“I’m a competitor and tbh when you go back to the locker room and Bron ain’t in that chair and everybody is looking at you and D Wade for that 25 points it’s like damn, man. Sh*t my knee hurts… I was upset it took months to get over it. We had to be in the same place and talk about it… We had to get back to a mode of not rebuilding but getting more out of ourselves and not always having that easy thing relying on 6 to do his job.”

Chris Bosh says he found out LeBron was leaving Miami through a text 10 minutes before it was announced

“I thought it was BS. 10 minutes later it was everywhere. I get it but at the time I didn’t understand it. At the time I was ready to put the team back together cause we… pic.twitter.com/UjSJeuUmLy

— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) February 13, 2026

LeBron James’ Cavs return reshaped NBA landscape for Chris Bosh, Heat

James’ return to Cleveland resulted in four straight Finals appearances from 2015 to 2018, highlighted by the franchise’s first championship in 2016 when the Cavaliers overcame a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors.

In Miami, the immediate aftermath proved challenging. The Heat finished 37-45 in the 2014-15 season and missed the playoffs, marking the franchise’s first postseason absence since 2008. Bosh averaged 21.1 points and 7 rebounds that season before being sidelined by blood clots, a condition that would ultimately end his career prematurely.

Bosh returned for parts of the 2015-16 season, helping Miami post a 48-34 record and reach the Eastern Conference semifinals. However, recurring health complications forced him off the court permanently. The Heat waived him in 2017, and he was later inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.

James later joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018 and won his fourth NBA championship in 2020. Now 40 years old and in his 23rd NBA season, James is averaging 22 points, 7.1 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 50.2% from the field and 30.5% from 3-point range across 36 games. The Lakers enter All-Star weekend at Intuit Dome with a 33-21 record, sitting fifth in the Western Conference standings.

While time has passed, Bosh acknowledged that the initial shock of James’ departure required direct conversation before the former teammates could fully move forward.

The post Chris Bosh admits he ‘took offense’ to LeBron James leaving Heat after last-minute text appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Wednesday night’s win in New Orleans was the second straight game head coach Erik Spoelstra started Bam Adebayo with Ware in the front court, as the team was missing Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, Pelle Larsson, and Tyler Herro due to injuries. While the frontcourt duo was shaky to start the season when they started, the minutes they’ve been together recently have been productive.

In the win on Wednesday, Adebayo recorded 27 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, and four blocks, with Ware scoring 16 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Ware would say to SiriusXM Radio that they are on the court together “makes everything better.”

“It makes it more of a safe space not just for us but the guards,” Ware said as he’s representing Miami for the Rising Stars event during the All-Star break. “If you get blown by, you have either me or Bam back there. We can protect the rim. One can go for the block, one can go for the rebound.”

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra on Kel’el Ware, Bam Adebayo

As Spoelstra has teased more Heat minutes for both Ware and Adebayo together, it remains to be seen if they get it after the All-Star break. If there’s one thing for certain, Spoelstra has liked what he’s been seeing recently from both of them.

“I like it,” Spoelstra said, via video from HeatCulture on X, formerly Twitter. “…Gives us a different look, and the versatility of being able to play the two of them together and pound the glass on both ends is a weapon for us. They both want to make it work.

Erik Spoelstra’s full thoughts on the Bam–Ware lineup:

"I liked it. I think both are in a different place than they were 6 to 8 weeks ago — 3 months ago — for different reasons. But that gives us a different look. And the versatility of being able to play the two of them… pic.twitter.com/C9tJg5BrsK

— 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙩𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 (@WadexFlash) February 12, 2026

Miami is at a 29-27 record, putting them eighth in the Eastern Conference with their next game on Feb. 20 against the Atlanta Hawks.

The post How this key Heat lineup decision ‘makes everything better,’ per Kel’el Ware appeared first on ClutchPoints.

In the win over the Pelicans, Ware would get another start where he recorded 16 points on seven of 15 shooting from the field, two of three from beyond the arc, to go along with 12 rebounds, two blocks, and log a +18 on the floor. What has been analyzed deeply is the minutes Ware receives from Spoelstra, especially since the comments that came from the head coach were made after Jan. 15’s loss to the Boston Celtics.

After Ware logged nine minutes in that game, Spoelstra would seem to imply that some young players “sometimes subconsciously play poorly to say, ‘Hey, I’ll play poorly until you play me the minutes I think I deserve. Then I’ll play well.’” Spoelstra referenced that as “the infamous post-game quote” when praising Ware after his great outing on Wednesday.

“I also appreciate Kel’el’s process over the last 3 weeks or month, since whenever that game was — the infamous postgame quote,” Ware said, via video by HeatCulture on X, formerly Twitter. “But his process really improved, and you’re going to go through stretches where it’s up and down, but he came in every day since then — just trying to work on getting better.”

Erik Spoelstra with PRAISE for Kel’el Ware tonight:

“I also appreciate Kel’el’s process over the last 3 weeks or month, since whenever that game was — the infamous postgame quote. But his process really improved and you’re going to go through stretches where it’s up and down but… https://t.co/Gb866ftMMV pic.twitter.com/um07hTr798

— 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙩𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 (@WadexFlash) February 12, 2026

Heat’s Kel’el Ware on the comments from Erik Spoelstra 

While the Heat head coach in Spoelstra admitted he didn’t articulate that infamous quote in a good way, it could have led to fuel for Ware to play better. Ware would say via SiriusXM Radio that while he and Spoelstra never spoke about that quote directly, “it was more of a miscommunication.”

“But yeah, I never went on the court and tried to play bad,” Ware said. “That would just make myself look bad. I would say it was more trying to get used to playing in a different role….. Just try to go out there and impact the game the best way that I can on the defensive end and try to leave the game with a plus.”

At any rate, Ware will represent Miami in the Rising Stars event during the All-Star break.

The post Heat’s Erik Spoelstra applauds Kel’el Ware’s growth since ‘infamous’ criticism went viral appeared first on ClutchPoints.

That series win did not come without controversy, as Wade appeared to be the beneficiary of several puzzling calls at several points in the matchup, which the Heat ultimately wound up winning in six games.

However, now Wade himself is setting the record straight on his version of how things went down 20 years ago against Dallas.

“I averaged 35 in the finals!!! Let me say that again. I averaged 35 in the finals! I averaged 40 in four games but I averaged 35 in the finals… you got some Dallas fans out there like, ‘Yea, but you averaged 20 free throws!’ Yeah, I got to the line too… the greats get to the line,” said Wade, per Wy Network by Dwyane Wade on X, formerly Twitter.

Indeed, a large part of being a great scorer in the NBA is finding ways to get to the line consistently, a trend that has continued today, with MVP-level players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers being among the league leaders in free throw attempts, and drawing similar criticism from fans in the process.

Wade certainly knew how to get to the line back in his day, going on to win two more championships with the Heat after LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined the mix in 2010.

The Heat made it back to the Finals in both 2020 and 2023, but have fallen off significantly since then, with many fans clamoring for a rebuild.

For the time being, however, all Miami fans can do is look back at the glory days.

Use code CLUTCHPOINTS to get $5 of free coins when you sign up at Novig, America’s #1 Sports Prediction market.

The post Heat legend Dwyane Wade puts Mavericks fans on blast for 2006 Finals officiating complaint appeared first on ClutchPoints.

There’s no denying that Miami needs this break, as after starting hot at 14-7, the team would then go 15-20, struggling to win consecutive games in 2026, only having done it once. However, head coach Erik Spoelstra would say the team is “looking forward” to the break and how there are positive signs to improve with the team being fourth in defensive rating (111.6) and fifth in scoring with 119.6 points per game.

Spoelstra would say that he believes after the break, they’re going to show how “dangerous” they are.

“You just look at our defense, our defense is improving,” Spoelstra said, according to the team’s YouTube page. “It’s the same thing with our offense. The efficiency isn’t exactly where we need it to be, but we can explode on teams…”

“Offensively, I think when we get our guys back, I think we’re going to be a really dangerous offensive team…Just wait until we get our guys back into the fold,” Spoelstra continued.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. on the Heat being “hungry”

While the Heat deal with injuries, as Spoelstra alluded to in his comments, many key players missed Wednesday’s game, like first-time All-Star Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, Pelle Larsson, and Tyler Herro. Focusing on Herro, he’s been the one piece that Miami has been waiting for his return to see what this team can be made of, as he’s missed the last 15 games, but 45 total this season.

Hoping Herro and others can be fully healthy by next Thursday’s practice, there’s no doubt that the Heat are “hungry” to prove themselves, as Jaime Jaquez Jr. put it.

“We got a lot to prove. We got a lot to still do in this season. The beautiful thing about it, we got a lot of games left still. But this is going to be a big push for us,” Jaquez said after recording 23 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, off the bench in the win over New Orleans.

At any rate, Miami enters the All-Star break at 29-27, putting them eighth in the Eastern Conference.

The post Erik Spoelstra sends ‘dangerous’ warning about Heat heading into All-Star break appeared first on ClutchPoints.

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Norman Powell’s injury situation for the Heat

Given the fact that he has not yet been ruled out of either the three-point contest or the All-Star game itself at the upcoming NBA All-Star weekend, it wouldn’t seem that Norman Powell’s back issue is anything to be too concerned about moving forward.

Powell was recently named a reserve for the big game due to his performance this season in his first year in South Beach, where he has tended to be the only source of perimeter offense at times for the Heat.

Meanwhile, joining Powell on the injury report for the game against the Pelicans is Andrew Wiggins, who is questionable due to left toe inflammation, and Pelle Larson, who is out due to a right forearm strain. Tyler Herro will remain out due to a rib injury.

Micah Peavy is questionable for the Pelicans due to a toe sprain.

Overall, the Heat have been a disappointment this year, currently sitting at 28-27 ahead of the game in New Orleans. The Heat would be in the play-in tournament for a fourth straight year if the season ended today, and Powell’s offensive firepower is one of the main reasons that the Heat aren’t a lottery team at this point.

The team will certainly be hoping that his back issue is not anything too severe moving forward, as will fans of the NBA as a whole, who have already seen several players bow out of Sunday’s All-Star game due to injury.

The post Norman Powell’s back injury rules him out for Heat vs. Pelicans ahead of first All-Star Game appeared first on ClutchPoints.

In his latest piece, Siegel outlined how the Golden State Warriors’ decision to preserve long-term assets has positioned the franchise to act aggressively in the upcoming offseason. While Giannis Antetokounmpo remains a speculative target league-wide, Siegel suggested several alternative star paths that could reshape Golden State’s future, including the possibility of Adebayo becoming available via trade.

“As a result of holding onto their assets, the Warriors can now be aggressive again when the time comes for the offseason,” Siegel wrote. “Does this mean another pursuit of Giannis? Perhaps, but what happens if other stars like Karl-Anthony Towns or Kawhi Leonard become available? Maybe the Cleveland Cavaliers look to move Jarrett Allen, or maybe even Bam Adebayo asks for a trade from the Miami Heat.”

Siegel noted that Golden State has previously expressed interest in Adebayo and that the center maintains a strong relationship with Jimmy Butler, further fueling speculation about his long-term future in Miami.

“After all, Adebayo is a player the Warriors have been interested in over the last year, as we’ve reported at ClutchPoints, and he still holds a strong relationship with Butler,” Siegel wrote. “Adebayo is certainly a player Warriors fans should keep in the back of their mind, especially with Lacob also owning the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA and wanting to be aggressive in pursuing a superstar talent soon.”

A’ja Wilson free agency fuels Bam Adebayo speculation for Warriors

That ownership overlap introduces a broader possibility involving Wilson, the Las Vegas Aces star and four-time WNBA MVP, who is expected to be one of the most sought-after free agents in the women’s league. Siegel reported that Wilson is a key target for Joe Lacob and the expansion Golden State Valkyries.

“A’ja Wilson, a four-time WNBA MVP, will be a key free agent target for Lacob and the Valkyries, sources said,” Siegel wrote. “Why would this matter for the Warriors? Well, Wilson and Adebayo have been together for years. These two becoming the faces of both Golden State franchises is certainly something to monitor.”

Adebayo, 28, is in his ninth NBA season and continues to anchor Miami’s frontcourt. Through 47 games, he is averaging 18.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and one steal per game while shooting 44.6 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from three-point range in 31.3 minutes per contest.

Wilson, 29, recently completed her eighth professional season after posting 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game. She shot 50.5 percent from the field and 42.4 percent from beyond the arc across 40 games, averaging 31.2 minutes.

For now, Adebayo remains focused on Miami’s playoff push. The Heat (28-27) sit eighth in the Eastern Conference standings and open a two-game road trip Wednesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans (15-40) at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Golden State (29-25) also holds the eighth seed in the Western Conference and continues a four-game homestand Wednesday night against the San Antonio Spurs (36-16) at 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The post Bam Adebayo, A’ja Wilson Golden State takeover floated by insider appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Jazz brought out a starting lineup that featured newcomer Jaren Jackson Jr., Lauri Markkanen, and Jusuf Nurkic, three players who didn’t log a single minute in the fourth quarter, despite the game being close.

It could’ve been argued before that saying a team is “tanking” could be accusatory, but with Utah entering the game with a 16-37 record and the team having held out players in the final frame before, it’s not far-fetched to say the team wants to lose. However, Miami broke down throughout the game, including a fourth quarter that saw the team miss a ton of opportunities, still finding trouble winning consecutive games, having only done it once in 2026.

“I know how it looks,” Spoelstra said to ClutchPoints. “First of all, the team that they played through the first three quarters is vastly different than the team we played in Salt Lake. They presented some different challenges with the size in terms of our driving, attacking game, and rebounding. And then in the fourth quarter, it just became a game.

“Sometimes it’s make or miss, but we had our opportunities to grind out and get defensive stops. It would have been pretty ugly down the stretch. Our guys were gassed; our guys really laid it out there. And I know what that sounds like, playing against a team with their record.”

Asked Erik Spoelstra about how the game transpired with Utah sitting three of their starters in Q4.

“I know how it looks. First of all, the team that they played in the first three quarters is vastly different than the team we played in Salt Lake…”

Full response: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/xwoJD5U4fE

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 10, 2026

Heat’s Bam Adebayo on facing a team “trying to lose”

With the Heat unable to land Giannis Antetokounmpo at the trade deadline, the team is now focused on succeeding with what they have, but there’s no denying the number of areas that need to be cleaned up. While Monday could be debated as being the most deflating loss of the season, due to the opponents actively tanking, it isn’t the first time that Miami has lost when, on paper, they should’ve dominated.

No matter the circumstances, Bam Adebayo would say to ClutchPoints that Miami needs to find ways to win, even if the other team is “trying to lose.”

“Gotta figure out how to consistently win games,” Adebayo said after recording 23 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. “Doesn’t matter if it’s a back-to-back. Four games in five nights, whatever it is, we gotta find a way to win, even against teams that are, I guess you could say, trying to lose.

“Gotta look in the mirror. That’s the biggest thing, that we don’t look in the mirror enough to see what we can do better, day in, day out. We kind of go with the flow, then when we get behind, it’s kind of when we want to, like, tap in…It’s like we got to have that urgency from the jump and a lot of times, we don’t have that.”

Asked Bam Adebayo about losing to the Jazz and the frustration level as they sat three starters in the fourth quarter.

“We’ve got to find a way to win against teams that are, I guess you can say, trying to lose…” #HeatNation#HeatNation pic.twitter.com/Jkowyq8L00

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 10, 2026

Bam Adebayo speaks on how the Heat don’t “look in the mirror enough” when asked about what is holding the Heat back.

Said to me in second clip how the final game before the All-Star break is important. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/89kjRTnCdx

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 10, 2026

As mentioned, with Herro, Powell, and Larsson out, Spoelstra started Adebayo alongside Kel’el Ware in the frontcourt, though the second-year center experienced foul trouble early. Andrew Wiggins, who led with 26 points, Davion Mitchell, and Simone Fontecchio rounded out the starting lineup.

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra sends a message to the fanbase

Though the first quarter saw the Heat take a 15-point lead, the second period had the Jazz churn out a 35-point quarter to give them a nine-point advantage at halftime. With Miami coming back in the third quarter and Utah sitting three of their starters in the fourth, it was in their grasp to win on Monday night.

The second unit of the Jazz would have other plans, spoiling a win for the Heat on their home floor, despite standout outings from rookie Kasparas Jakucionis, scoring 20 points on seven of 12 shooting from the field, six of 10 from deep. He’s coming off a career-best game on Sunday afternoon in the win over the Washington Wizards, another team that was actively tanking, recording 22 points.

He would have an opportunity late in the final frame to give Miami the lead with a seventh-made 3, but missed the shot with mere seconds left on the game clock. With the Heat looking to consecutively win games, Spoelstra was asked why it’s been a struggle for the team to do so, as he sent a message to the fanbase.

Kasparas Jakucionis got the ball and missed what would’ve been his seventh three-pointer.

Looks like Miami is about to lose to Jazz. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/9dmsO92730

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 10, 2026

“I don’t know. We’re working on it. That’s all I can tell Heat Nation,” Spoelstra said. “It’s a dedicated group…Guys want it so bad…Based on my experience, if you just continue to forge ahead when it gets tough and it gets disappointing, eventually you get a breakthrough. And I believe that, and I know the locker room believes that as well.”

Erik Spoelstra on why the Heat have a hard time winning consecutive games, with them only doing that once in 2026 so far.

“I don’t know, we’re working on it. That’s all I can tell #HeatNation…”

Full response: pic.twitter.com/S3TgcQ3Njo

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 10, 2026

At any rate, Miami is now 28-27, which puts them eighth in the Eastern Conference, as the team looks to head into the All-Star break on a “good note,” as Adebayo described to ClutchPoints.

The last game before the much-needed break is on Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans.

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Besides other players missing time with injuries like Norman Powell and Pelle Larsson out for Monday’s game against the Utah Jazz, Herro’s season has been frustrating to say the least. Monday night marked Herro’s 14th straight missed game with the current rib injury, and in total, it totals 44 contests absent with a myriad of issues.

Herro was out for the first 17 games of the season due to an offseason ankle surgery, but would then miss more time with a toe contusion and now deals with what’s listed as ” Right Costochondral; Injury the the Ribs.” Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra would be asked before Monday’s game about a potential timeline for Herro, with an answer once again being murky.

However, Spoelstra would emphasize how much “progress” Herro is making while dealing with the injury.

“I don’t have a timeline, but I can tell you, he is making progress, and he’s doing what he needs to do behind the scenes, and we’ll just continue to treat him. And when there is an update, I’ll let you know,” Spoelstra said.

Erik Spoelstra was asked about a potential update on Tyler Herro and if there is a timeline.

“I don't have a timeline, but I can tell you he is making progress…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/hV8VPbyDyb

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 9, 2026

After Monday, there will be one game left before the All-Star break, with the next contest taking place on Feb. 20 when the team visits the Atlanta Hawks.

Erik Spoelstra on Tyler Herro’s “resolve” with the Heat through injury

With the Heat being represented at All-Star weekend with Norman Powell being in the game for the first time, as well as the three-point contest, Kel’el Ware, Keshad Johnson, and Jahmir Young are also participating in events. While Powell looks to keep the three-point contest trophy in Miami, with Herro having won it last year, the star guard will use the time off to hopefully heal his rib injury 100 percent.

Though a timeline for Herro is not revealed just yet, as the same message was related to ClutchPoints from the team, there’s no denying that the 26-year-old is working diligently to get back on the court. Spoelstra would say on Jan. 31 to ClutchPoints that Herro’s “resolve” is a trait that will push the guard forward and get him healthy.

“There’s things that sometimes happen, you know, for players in this league that you can’t control,” Spoelstra said. “The one thing I do know about Tyler after spending so many years with him is he has resolve. He has grit. He fights through and focuses on the things that he can control. Right now, it’s just getting healthy, and they’ll put in the work to get ready. I’ve always admired that quality about him.”

No update on Herro, but would ask Erik Spoelstra about the disappointment from him missing close to 40 games with a myriad of injuries.

“The one thing I know about Tyler…is he has resolve…right now, it’s just getting healthy and they’ll put in the work…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/8egipXHHzI

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) January 31, 2026

Herro has played in just 11 games this season, where he has averaged 21.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from beyond the arc.

It remains to be seen if Herro will return then, as the Heat could use any type of offensive gutpunch it can get with the team entering Monday with a 28-26 record, which puts them eighth in the Eastern Conference. After Monday, the next game is on Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans.

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The big-man lineup with Adebayo and Ware is one that the fanbase envisioned being the future, especially after seeing it in extended minutes last season and in 19 of the first 37 games this season. However, this season has shown a regression for the two-big lineup, with Miami being outscored 7.5 points per 100 possessions in the 266 minutes played, but Sunday afternoon was a step in the right direction.

It was the first time the two played together since Jan. 6, as head coach Erik Spoelstra has gone more with a small-ball starting lineup. With under three minutes left in the contest, Spoelstra had Adebayo come in with Ware, and the game changed as the team was down eight to Washington, but leading to a 21-6 run to give Miami the lead.

“Just something that we have to continue to work on, wasn’t productive for us, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t get to it, and I think they’re both in a different place right now for different reasons,” Spoelstra said to ClutchPoints before facing Utah. “And so we were able to get to it last night, we’ll probably need it a little bit tonight, and based on their size, and then moving forward, we’ll just have to see…we’re trying to develop, you know, some lineups that work. We want some consistency there. And maximize the rotation as much as possible.”

Asked Erik Spoelstra about the two-big lineup with Bam and Kel’el and what about last night was better than the start of the season when it was rocky.

Says it’ll be used tonight: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/yqkSDEmCSc

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 9, 2026

Heat’s Kel’el Ware on how the two-big lineup benefits Bam Adebayo

As the Heat had come off a painful loss to the Boston Celtics before the game against the Wizards, the team needed a boost of energy, which was given by the duo of Adebayo and Ware. In total, the duo played 16 minutes together, with Miami outscoring the Wizards by 32 points, and as the lineup hadn’t been used in a long time, even Ware was surprised that Spoelstra was running it.

“I was a little bit,” Ware said in his post-game press conference, via the team’s YouTube page. “I thought I was going out. But then he was like, he had somebody else. So I was like, oh, alright.”

“It’s better for him,” Ware continued after beating the Wizards on how the lineup benefits Adebayo. “As you saw tonight, they put the smaller defender on him and had the bigger defender on me. So he was able to get to things if he wanted to. And he was able to crash. He didn’t have a big man boxing him out.”

Adebayo recorded 22 points and eight rebounds while recording an immense +44 on the floor, while Ware finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds. It remains to be seen if the duo will be consistently used throughout the rest of the season, but there’s no denying the versatility it brings to Miami if Spoelstra keeps on running with it.

If there’s one thing for certain, it will be used Monday night against the Jazz, but before, the Heat are 28-26, which puts them eighth in the Eastern Conference.

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Bam Adebayo, Norman Powell’s injury status vs. Jazz

Given that Bam Adebayo is probable on the Heat’s injury report, it’s a good assumption that he will be playing against the Jazz. With Powell, the answer is a little less certain. He is questionable after leaving the Heat’s game against the Washington Wizards on Sunday due to the back injury. A final determination on Powell’s status likely won’t come until right before the game. He had 21 points and four rebounds in 25 minutes before exiting.

Powell is in his first season with the Heat after being traded by the LA Clippers in the offseason. He was recently selected to his first career All-Star appearance. He’s appeared in 45 games this season, all starts, at a little over 30 minutes per game.

He’s averaging a career-high 23.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals with splits of 47.4 percent shooting from the field, 39.6 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 84.3 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

Adebayo, on the other hand, has appeared in 46 games and is averaging 18.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals with splits of 44.6 percent shooting from the field, 34.6 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 79.2 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

Heat injury report

-Bam Adebayo probable (right hip tightness)
-Vladislav Goldin out (G League two-way)
-Tyler Herro out (Rib injury)
-Kasparas Jakucionis available (left ankle)
-Jaime Jaquez Jr. available (left knee sprain)
-Keshad Johnson out (G League two-way)
-Nikola Jovic availale (right hip impingement)
-Pelle Larsson doubtful
-Norman Powell questionable (low back tightness)
-Terry Rozier out (not with team)
-Dru Smith available (left ankle soreness)
-Andrew Wiggins available (left hamstring tightness)

Jazz injury report

-Keyonte George out (right ankle sprain)
-Walker Kessler out (left shoulder injury recovery)
-Kevin Love out (rest)

The post Bam Adebayo, Norman Powell on long injury report vs. Jazz appeared first on ClutchPoints.

However, recent reporting suggests that Russell might not be in DC for long.

“We’ll try to figure out what’s best for him and for the team,” said Wizards general manager Will Dawkins, per ClutchPoints’ NBA insider Brett Siegel.

“Russell will not report to Washington and may very well hit the buyout market this upcoming week,” reported Siegel on X, formerly Twitter.

If Russell does indeed hit the buyout market, here are some destinations that could make sense for the guard.

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics have a bit of a need for bench scoring currently after sending out Anfernee Simons at the trade deadline in exchange for Chicago Bulls big man Nikola Vucevic.

Their lack of perimeter shooting off the bench was on full display on Sunday, as the team shot just 17% from beyond the arc in a blowout loss to the New York Knicks.

While Russell might not fully solve this problem, he would give Joe Mazzulla another player who can get scalding hot on any given night, and could more or less replicate the production that Simons provided for the first half of this season.

Miami Heat

The Miami Heat have played the vast majority of this season without Tyler Herro, and after the team remained dormant at the NBA trade deadline, Pat Riley would do well to look to add more offensive firepower on the buyout market.

Russell has some well-documented flaws and might not necessarily be a great fit for Erik Spoelstra’s defense-first style of play, but for a Heat team that doesn’t have a lot of perimeter shot creation outside of Norman Powell, taking a chance on Russell might be a risk worth taking.

Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets have been on the struggle bus in recent weeks, finally getting back on track with a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday afternoon.

Reed Sheppard has hit a major sophomore slump over the last month, and Russell’s veteran experience might be just what the team needs to help reignite the offense and give them some microwave scoring off the bench, especially on nights when Sheppard’s shot isn’t falling.

The post 3 best D’Angelo Russell destinations with Wizards exit looking imminent after Anthony Davis trade appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Adebayo is halfway through the ninth season of his NBA career with the Heat. He stands out as the heart of the squad, leading them on both sides of the ball.

He has been developing chemistry with Ware, who displays talent with his size and athleticism. However, there are times when they accidentally get in each other’s way, which happened during Miami’s game against Washington.

The highlight took place in the final minutes of the second quarter. Davion Mitchell missed a mid-range jumper as Adebayo jumped in the air and caught the ball to throw down the one-handed putback dunk. However, Ware was in front of his teammate as he ended being part of a poster from Adebayo.

Adebayo reacted to the highlight on social media, making a playful comment on what he’ll do with the photo of the dunk.

“Anybody got the photo? Ima put it in his locker lol,” Adebayo wrote.

BAM ADEBAYO PUT KEL’EL WARE ON A POSTER.

pic.twitter.com/WSZn20X4QK

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 8, 2026

How Bam Adebayo, Heat played against Wizards

It will be a funny moment for Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware to look back on. In the meantime, they helped the Heat dominate the Wizards 132-101 on the road.

The game started out close as Miami only led 37-33 after the first quarter. It wasn’t until the next two periods where the Heat came alive, torching the Wizards 70-42 in that stretch to secure the blowout victory.

Seven players scored in double-digits for Miami in the win, including Adebayo. He led the way with a stat line of 22 points, eight rebounds, five steals, and three assists. He shot 9-of-15 from the field, including 2-of-6 from beyond the arc. Kasparas Jakucionis came next with 22 points and six assists, Norman Powell had 21 points and four rebounds, Ware put up 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Simone Fontecchio provided 12 points and five rebounds. Meanwhile, Andrew Wiggins produced 11 points and 10 rebounds and Myron Gardner turned in 10 points and seven rebounds.

Miami improved to a 28-26 record on the season, holding the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They are two games above the Atlanta Hawks and 2.5 games above the Charlotte Hornets. However, they trail the Orlando Magic by 0.5 games and the Philadelphia 76ers by three games.

The Heat will look forward to their next matchup, being at home. They host the Utah Jazz as tip-off will take place on Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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Bam Adebayo injury status vs. Wizards

As the heart and soul of the Heat, Adebayo has not missed a game since Dec. 27, when he sat out due to back tightness. Hip tightness now has him back on the injury report, but Adebayo’s probable status suggests he will play on Sunday.

While Miami has struggled to be consistent, Adebayo has been dominant over the last three weeks. The three-time All-Star hit a lull in early January, but he has owned the paint on both ends of the floor since righting the ship, averaging 21.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals in his last 14 games.

Adebayo is coming off a slightly disappointing game against the Boston Celtics, during which he managed just 16 points and seven rebounds in a two-point loss.

Second-year center Kel’el Ware will likely get the call if Adebayo cannot go, with Nikola Jovic in line for a minutes increase. But barring a last-minute setback, Adebayo will be on the court for the Heat in the nation’s capital.

Norman Powell injury status vs. Wizards

Powell’s injury is more concerning than Adebayo’s, considering he left the game against the Celtics before returning in the fourth quarter. The 2026 All-Star hurt his hand on a fastbreak drive to the basket and was deemed questionable to return before ultimately making it back onto the court in the final frame.

However, while Powell was initially listed as questionable, he has since been upgraded to probable. His progression also makes it likely he will avoid an absence and suit up on Sunday afternoon.

Despite being limited with his hand injury, Powell is still coming off a 24-point outing against the Celtics, his third consecutive game with 20 or more. His early success contributed to Miami’s 21-point halftime lead, and his third-quarter absence equally impacted Boston’s comeback.

The Heat will be down a guard after ruling out Pelle Larsson, who also suffered an injury against Boston. Larsson’s absence will place further pressure on Davion Mitchell, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Powell, who should all be ready to go against the Wizards.

Heat injury report

Bam Adebayo, Probable — Right hip tightness

Vladislav Goldin, OUT — G League

Tyler Herro, OUT — Rib injury

Keshad Johnson, OUT — G League

Pelle Larsson, OUT — Right elbow contusion

Norman Powell, Probable — Right hand sprain

Terry Rozier III, OUT — Not with team

Wizards injury report

Bilal Coulibaly, Questionable — Lower back soreness

Anthony Davis, OUT — Left finger sprain

Dante Exum, OUT — Not with team

Kyshawn George, Questionable — Right knee contusion

Anthony Gill, Questionable — Right hand contusion

Jaden Hardy, OUT — Rest

Tre Johnson, OUT — Left ankle sprain

D’Angelo Russell, OUT — Not with team

Alex Sarr, Questionable — Right ankle soreness

Tristan Vuckevic, Questionable — Right knee soreness

Cam Whitmore, OUT — Deep vein thrombosis

Trae Young, OUT — Right MCL sprain, Quad contusion

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For Miami fans, the result feels all too familiar as the team built up a double-digit lead, with a 21-point lead going into halftime, but the third quarter was once again a weak point. The team came out flat, leading to the Heat scoring 15 points the entire period and allowing the Celtics to score 36 as Spoelstra expressed how “painful” the loss is, but that the result will “drive” them.

“Guys really competed hard,” Spoelstra said, via video from Heat Central on X, formerly Twitter, from the team’s YouTube page. “We’re not looking for a moral victory. It’s disappointing, but we’re going to get better from it. As painful as this is, it’s going to drive us. And I feel we’re going to get there.”

Coach Spo on the loss:

"Guys really competed hard but Not looking for a morale victory, its disappointing. We're going to get better from it. As painful as this is its going to drive us. I feel we're going to get there"

Sigh. pic.twitter.com/H8q9nQRsf9

— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) February 7, 2026

The third-quarter issues have been a problem all season as the point differential ranks them 27th in the entire NBA, via Team Rankings. When Spoelstra was asked to theorize why the problems are happening in the period, he expressed searching for answers.

“I don’t know, we’ve tried everything,” Spoelstra said, as he spoke more about blocking out in the free-throw line being a deflator in the frame.

Norman Powell on the Heat’s “Achilles heel”

While the Heat are looking to achieve their “high ceiling” aspirations, as Spoelstra said after Friday’s shootaround before the loss to the Celtics, the one issue they need to fix is the third quarter. Miami’s leading scorer on the season, Norman Powell, would speak about the team’s “Achilles heel.”

“It’s very frustrating,” Powell said, who recorded 24 points on Friday night, via HeatCulture on X. “We have to put a full 48-minute game together…The Achilles heel is the third quarter coming out at a pace of how we need to play in the same mentality when we start the games and then sustaining it through the second half.”

Norman Powell on the 3Q problems:

“It’s very frustrating, I’ve said before earlier this morning shoot-around — we have to put a full 48 minute game together. That’s our Achilles heel — the Achilles heel is the 3Q…we play a good 24 minutes, we gotta finish with another 24… https://t.co/QoL6bHG8pq pic.twitter.com/BLSzyE3Gxv

— 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙩𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 (@WadexFlash) February 7, 2026

The Heat are now 27-26, putting them eighth in the Eastern Conference ahead of Sunday afternoon’s contest against the Washington Wizards.

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With Miami falling in Boston, 98-96, the final score only tells part of what makes this loss feel numb to the average Miami fan, as it once again saw the Heat build up a double-digit lead early, with 22 being the largest, only for it to be lost. Though the modern NBA has an abundance of more offense, leading 59-38 at halftime could still be considered a cushion that every team wants.

For Miami, it might as well be seen as a tie ball game with the Heat once again coming out flat in the third quarter, scoring 15 points in the period and allowing 36, which has been a concerning trend all season. Looking back, it’s been an issue for a while, with the latest statistic by Keerthika Uthayakumar painting the entire picture.

“The Miami Heat have blown 31 double-digit leads since the start of last season, the most by any team in that span,” Uthayakumar wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

It’s surreal to read a statistic like that, but it’s hard to argue that it’s surprising. There are a lot of directions to point to when discussing the reasons for this team.

But as Miami looks to be heading down towards staying in eighth seed and play-in tournament purgatory, this offseason’s pursuit of Antetokounmpo could be turning a point in the franchise.

Looking at the outlook on the Heat going after Giannis Antetokounmpo

With the Heat’s failed pursuit of Antetokounmpo at the trade deadline, the focus now turns to the offseason, with the team looking to be active. Fans are used to Miami being unable to land big-named stars, usually because of their reluctance to give up certain pieces, but there’s no denying that hasn’t been the case for Antetokounmpo.

One can expect President Pat Riley and the front office to make a huge push for the superstar, likely with a better deal as more first-round picks become tradeable. However, there will be competition.

There’s no doubt that if this Miami team wants to compete for championships, getting an alpha like Antetokounmpo to pair alongside Bam Adebayo and others could give them their best chance. With the way this team is currently constructed, the reality is that it’s hard to think of the Heat making a run for it.

Though Miami has been built on exceeding everybody’s expectations, the inconsistency of Miami currently is too hard to ignore. Not to mention the fact that players have been in and out of the lineup due to injuries, with the main one being Tyler Herro, who has missed more than 40 games this season with a myriad of issues.

It seems as if landing a player like Antetokounmpo could save this era of the franchise, which has finished at the eighth seed and in the play-in tournament the last three seasons. Of course, the first of three resulted in the Jimmy Butler-led team miraculously going to the NBA Finals, but banking on doing the same once again is fool’s gold.

If there is at least one true thing, the team knows this. The question is, what are they going to do about it?

What’s next for the Heat in the future?

With the Heat’s trade deadline displaying them not getting Antetokounmpo or even the Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant, of course, this offseason will be vital in getting a star talent. But here’s a hard question for fans to hear: What if they’re unable to land Antetokounmpo once again in the offseason?

Riley has said in his end-of-season press conference that there are two or three players that are worth going all in for, though Adebayo appears to be untouchable, which is reportedly Antetokounmpo, Anthony Edwards, and Donovan Mitchell, according to The Miami Herald. Besides the first, the others are not available.

As players like Norman Powell, Adebayo, or others can work well when having a star player like Antetokounmpo, where would the team go from there if they’re unable to trade for him? As Jaime Jaquez Jr. said recently about the inconsistency of the team’s current issues, the team is “sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

While the organization has been confident about never giving up on a season and a team, these issues could potentially be everlasting. It’s hard to imagine the Heat franchise going through a rebuild, as Riley has been publicly against the idea, but the team needs to assess all their options for the betterment of the team.

The Heat’s current issues have been familiar 

Looking at the smaller picture of this season, it’s even hard for head coach Erik Spoelstra to understand the problems in the third quarter.

“I don’t know,” Spoelstra said when asked about the third-quarter issues, via the team’s YouTube page. “We’ve tried everything.”

“We know that our level of urgency and attention to detail and everything coming out of the third quarter, that’s what we’re trying to conquer,” Spoelstra said.

It doesn’t help that players like Powell and the ascending Pelle Larsson saw shorter stints due to injuries, but this issue of third-quarter breakdowns and blown leads has been a consistent issue in the midst of the team’s inconsistency.

“It’s very frustrating,” Powell said after Friday’s loss to the Celtics. “I said before, early this morning at shootaround, we have to put a full 48-minute game together. That’s our Achilles heel. The Achilles heel is the third quarter coming out at a pace of how we need to play in the same mentality when we start the games, and then sustaining it through the second half. We played a good 24 minutes. We’ve got to finish it with another good 24 minutes.”

“At some point, we’re going to get tired of putting our hand on that hot stove,” Adebayo said later about it.

A stressful offseason is coming for the Heat fanbase 

The first step is the Heat accepting their reality, which might have to be done first by the end of the season, depending on how Miami finishes in the Eastern Conference standings. Who knows, maybe this loss to the Celtics is going to “drive” the team to better days, as Spoelstra said after the game.

“Guys really competed hard,” Spoelstra said. “We’re not looking for a moral victory. It’s disappointing, but we’re going to get better from it. As painful as this is, it’s going to drive us. And I feel we’re going to get there.”

However, these types of quotes sound familiar. But there’s a reason they do. Spoelstra and this team believe they have a high ceiling and a championship aspiration, which they have to prove with 29 games left in the season.

It’s commendable, as there’s no denying the will and passion Spoelstra, Adebayo, Powell, Herro, and the rest have in the locker room. But it seems like the fans are asking for the team to be realistic about their chances.

At any rate, it will be a stress-inducing offseason for the fanbase as the Heat take another crack at the Bucks in an effort to obtain Antetokounmpo. If they do, it marks a turning point in the franchise. If they don’t, it has kind of the same impact, just for different, uncomfortable reasons.

At any rate, Miami is 27-26, which puts them eighth in the Eastern Conference, as the next game is on Sunday afternoon against the Washington Wizards.

The post How Heat’s latest collapse makes Giannis offseason pursuit even more important appeared first on ClutchPoints.

As the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend draws closer to next week’s festivities, which run from Friday, Feb. 13 through Sunday night at Intuit Dome, the league revealed the players set to compete in this year’s Slam Dunk Contest. The event will take place Saturday night at 5 p.m. ET at the Los Angeles Clippers’ new arena in Inglewood, California.

The NBA PR account shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday that Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, San Antonio Spurs rookie forward Carter Bryant, Orlando Magic rookie guard Jase Richardson, and Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson will participate in the contest.

Hayes enters the contest as one of the league’s most physically gifted finishers. The veteran center is known for his leaping ability and power above the rim, traits that have consistently shown up in game action throughout his career.

The field is set for AT&T Slam Dunk

A new champion will be crowned, with all four players making their event debuts.

Saturday, Feb. 14 | 5 PM ET
NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/QZ3TN9LrzA

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) February 7, 2026

Jaxson Hayes, Carter Bryant lead Slam Dunk Contest field in search of new champion

Bryant and Richardson headline the rookie contingent. Bryant, a first-year forward with San Antonio, has flashed athletic upside early in his NBA career, while Richardson has emerged as an explosive guard option for Orlando. Johnson rounds out the field after showcasing his vertical athleticism and creativity with Miami.

The 2026 contest follows a historic performance one year ago, when Chicago Bulls guard Mac McClung captured his third consecutive Slam Dunk Contest title. McClung became the first player in NBA history to win the event three times, further raising expectations for future competitions.

With a new venue, a fresh group of participants, and heightened attention following McClung’s unprecedented three-peat, the NBA will look to continue building momentum around one of All-Star Weekend’s marquee events. The Slam Dunk Contest will be part of a packed Saturday night schedule as the league celebrates its annual midseason showcase in Los Angeles.

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Early in the fourth quarter, the two players battled for a loose ball, resulting in a shoving exchange that drew attention from both benches. Powell, recently returning from a three-game absence, confronted Gonzalez with a pointed, “What’s up?” The confrontation ended as the two were quickly split up.

Hugo Gonzalez had some words for Norman Powell in Celtics-Heat pic.twitter.com/HLPUXKaVfc

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 7, 2026

The game was a tale of two halves. The Celtics were abysmal offensively early, shooting just 1 of 20 from three-point range and scoring only 38 points in the first half. Boston opened the second quarter behind 42-22 after a slow start, including a 13-2 deficit in the opening three minutes. Meanwhile, the Heat, missing Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier, got off to a strong start behind Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, and Bam Adebayo. Wiggins led Miami with 26 points on 10 of 16 shooting, adding six rebounds and two steals. Powell contributed 24 points on 9 of 15 shooting, along with three rebounds, four assists, and four steals.

The Celtics turned the game around in the third quarter, outscoring the Heat 36-15. Jaylen Brown led the comeback with 29 points, Derrick White scored 21 points and made four crucial blocks, while Payton Pritchard scored 24 off the bench. Newly acquired Nikola Vucevic made an immediate impact in his debut with Boston, recording 11 points and 12 rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench. Boston also hit 5 of 7 three-pointers in the third, with White hitting a clutch three-pointer following a steal to help tie the game. The Celtics’ bench contribution, including Baylor Scheierman’s +17 plus-minus, was crucial in the comeback.

Miami kept the game close despite the third-quarter collapse, with Adebayo scoring 16 points and grabbing seven rebounds. The Heat’s bench, however, failed to provide consistent support, with Nikola Jovic going 0-for-5 in six minutes and the four-man unit of Jaquez Jr., Dru Smith, Simone Fontecchio, and Kel’el Ware producing minimal impact. Late-game misses by Davion Mitchell allowed Boston to maintain their two-point lead in the final seconds. White finished the defensive stop by blocking Mitchell with 32 seconds remaining.

Boston improved to 34-18, stretching their winning streak to five games, while the Heat fell to 27-26, now 0-3 against the Celtics this season. Boston will host the New York Knicks on Sunday, and the Heat will travel to Washington to face the Wizards

The post Hugo Gonzalez, Norman Powell get heated during Celtics-Heat clash appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The night started ugly for the home crowd at TD Garden. With Jayson Tatum still sidelined following Achilles surgery, the Boston Celtics looked out of sorts early, falling behind 29-15 after a frigid first quarter. Miami’s defense smothered the Celtics, who struggled to find any rhythm without their superstar. However, Vucevic proved exactly why the front office targeted him to stabilize the rotation.

Nikola Vucevic going to work

He caps a 20-3 run for the Celtics!

pic.twitter.com/lKsvw9JG8q

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 7, 2026

Nikola Vucevic finished his debut with a composed double-double, tallying 11 points and 12 rebounds. Beyond the scoring, he flashed the high-level IQ that has defined his 15-year career, dishing out 4 assists and active hands on defense to record 2 steals. He was incredibly efficient, shooting 4-of-8 from the field and providing a reliable post-presence that finally opened up the floor for teammates like Payton Pritchard.

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In what feels like a painful episode of déjà vu, Miami’s biggest mistake at the 2026 NBA trade deadline was its frustrating inactivity. The Heat were one of just three teams to make zero moves in the week before the deadline, much to the dismay of the fan base.

The Heat reportedly made an offer for Antetokounmpo before the deadline, as did a few other teams. The offer was intriguing but not enough, prompting a counteroffer that Miami balked at.

The Heat, along with the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks, are content to wait for the offseason, when they believe Antetokounmpo will still be available. The Milwaukee Bucks are confident that they can re-sign the 31-year-old at the end of the season, but rival organizations appear to be equally optimistic that their relationship will only worsen over time.

While Miami spent all its attention on Antetokounmpo, which could have been its undoing, it missed out on several other potential blockbuster trades. The Heat were reportedly in the mix for Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant and Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, yet had no urgency to make any changes.

In what seemed to be their most opportunistic trade deadline in years, the Heat’s persistent contentment will seemingly hurt more in 2026 than ever before. Only time will tell, but Riley might have just let a massive championship window close right in front of him.

Pat Riley misses on Giannis Antetokounmpo

In a tale as old as time, the Heat had an opportunity to change their entire season outlook by adding a bona fide star, only to come up empty-handed.

The Heat were not the only team in the running, and the Bucks’ asking price reportedly turned Pat Riley away. Still, the excuses are getting stale for fans at this point, who have watched Miami miss on Kevin Durant, Donovan Mitchell and the biggest fish in the sea, Damian Lillard, all in the last decade. Add Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant to that list.

The Heat miss out again…

After not landing Giannis, it's more of the same for Miami. Let's look back at the stars Miami has tried to get in the past few years:

Donovan Mitchell

In 2022, the Jazz were looking to trade Mitchell. Spida even named the Heat as one of his… pic.twitter.com/LVZKW3x92a

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 6, 2026

Riley landed Jimmy Butler, but that only came together after Butler essentially burned all his bridges with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers. That trade immediately turned the Heat into title contenders, and they have not followed it up with any substantial moves since.

Acquiring Antetokounmpo, whose name has been in trade rumors for a couple of years now, would have been that needle-moving deal. The Heat claim they are content to wait until the offseason, but they spent the entire few weeks leading up to the deadline honing in on Antetokounmpo. In doing so, they missed out on Morant, Kuminga, or any other player who could have tipped the scales for their rest-of-season outlook.

Credit Riley for building a culture and environment in Miami that players around the league find attractive. But at the same time, the job does not end when stars name the Heat as one of their preferred trade destinations.

Miami is setting itself up for the future, which is a fine plan if everything works out. The team has been saying that for years, and “the future” never seems to arrive.

Heat continue to be too passive in trade market

Antetokounmpo was the big miss for the Heat, but making zero moves at all was the team’s biggest mistake of the 2026 NBA trade deadline. The San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets were the only two other teams to remain silent through Thursday’s deadline.

The 2026 deadline was more active than usual, but unlike the Spurs and Rockets, the Heat were primed to make a splash on Thursday. In the weeks leading up to the deadline, few teams were involved in more rumors and discussions around the league than Miami was, yet the offices in South Beach did nothing but watch the chaos unfold around them.

The inactivity at the deadline comes after Riley orchestrated a successful offseason, headlined by the acquisition of Norman Powell at a low cost. That move has paid dividends, with Powell making the 2026 All-Star roster and fitting in beautifully with Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.

Yet, when it comes to making similar moves, Riley has historically refused to follow up. His tendency to take a “wait-and-see” approach has hurt the organization time and again over the past decade, from doubling down on Dion Waiters and James Johnson in 2017 to using his trade for Terry Rozier as an excuse for Miami’s idle 2024 offseason.

Riley keeps getting the Heat into striking distance, but when it comes to getting into the end zone, the plans typically fall apart.

The most successful teams in the modern NBA have been aggressive in the trade market in the years leading up to their success. Miami, for whatever reason, does not believe in that model and continues to take a passive approach, hoping everything just falls into place for them.

The post Heat’s biggest 2026 NBA trade deadline mistake after making 0 deals appeared first on ClutchPoints.

While there are fans irate at the team’s inability to land Antetokounmpo, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant, or anybody to even marginally improve the team,  Miami is confident in the roster to turn around its fate. Spoelstra especially is confident in the team, saying that with the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, the team can focus on reaching its “high ceiling,” according to The Miami Herald.

“League-wide, I think everybody is just glad that all of that is behind us,” Spoelstra said after Friday’s shootaround before that night’s game against the Boston Celtics. “And we can just focus on the next 30 games. We have great opportunities still ahead of us, we know what we have to work on is our consistency, we have a high ceiling, but we need to do it more consistently.”

“I think we’ve shown this year we have a high ceiling. I’ve talked about it quite a bit,” Spoelstra continued. “The fact that we’re third in the league in scoring and have a top-six defense shows you where we can go to, but we have to be a lot more consistent with it.”

Erik Spoelstra continues to explain why the Heat have a “high ceiling”

Though the trade rumors around the Heat never materialized into big deals for Antetokounmpo or Morant, the team didn’t want to risk the team taking a step back. Whether that means trading a veteran for draft assets that could be used in the summer for Antetokounmpo or making a lateral move that would take away time for Miami’s younger players, the team believes they have a shot to make some noise down the line.

The biggest area that Spoelstra wants to see cleaned up is their consistency, which doesn’t help that there have been players going in and out of the lineup with injuries, especially Tyler Herro, who has only played in 11 games this season.

“Look, we’ve had some guys miss games. But a bigger thing has been just our consistency,” Spoelstra said. “To be able to do our best level more consistently on the road versus quality teams, having more consistent quarters all the way throughout the game. First quarter, second quarter, and then this third quarter that we have to do a much better job with.”

“Even with the things that have happened to us, we’ve shown that that ceiling can be very high,” Spoelstra continued. “If we defend at a high level on any given night, we can blow the doors off offensively. But we have to do it a lot more consistently.”

At any rate, it remains to be seen if the Heat can stack some consistency, leading to wins, as the first game after the trade deadline is Friday against the Celtics, as Miami is 27-25, putting them eighth in the Eastern Conference.

The post Heat’s Erik Spoelstra preaches ‘high ceiling’ after failed Giannis Antetokounmpo trade pursuit appeared first on ClutchPoints.

For one, the Giannis Antetokounmpo situation has many around the NBA puzzled after the trade deadline. Did the Bucks even intend on trading Giannis, or were they trying to get information from teams?

Those who were pursuing Antetokounmpo either pivoted to other, lesser moves before the trade deadline, or they sat back and did no make any moves in hopes of another chance to pursue Giannis coming in the summer.

Either way, teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, and Miami Heat were left in the dark with realistically no shot at landing Antetokounmpo before the trade deadline.

Outside of all the trade drama surrounding Giannis in the last month, other situations around the league, including Ja Morant’s with the Memphis Grizzlies, were left unsolved.

Every organization has their own agenda, and sometimes that does not always align with the thought process of the media and fans. However, there are clear losers of the NBA trade deadline this year, and none bigger than the Heat.

Miami Heat

What is the plan in South Beach? Bam Adebayo is now 28 years old and not getting any younger, and it seems like the Heat have wasted their last couple of seasons by being nothing more than a play-in team.

Once again, the Heat are on a collision course with the play-in tournament, as they were the only team in the East not to make any moves at the trade deadline. Obviously, the Heat put all their eggs in the Giannis basket and thought they had a clear shot at getting him, but the fact of the matter is that the Bucks never once negotiated with teams and presented counteroffers.

That is why all the teams who were discussing the possibility of a Giannis trade with the Bucks indicated that Milwaukee was never true to their intentions to trade the two-time MVP.

Miami struck out at this trade deadline, failing to add any talent that could help them both this season and become a possible title contender next. Now, the Heat are staring down what will be a very unpredictable offseason for them.

Norman Powell will be a free agent, Tyler Herro’s extension talks will only get louder, and the expiring money from the contracts of Terry Rozier and Simone Fontecchio was not used in any trade for an upgrade.

There is still a lot of work to do for the Heat to be taken seriously in the East.

Not just the Heat, but all Giannis Antetokounmpo suitors

The Heat will obviously receive a lot of backlash for their failed pursuit of Giannis and not making any moves to improve their immediate outlook. However, Miami, along with the other teams that thought they had a great chance to land Giannis, ended up being huge losers at the NBA trade deadline for several reasons.

Not only is Giannis staying in Milwaukee, but now all the information they gave to the Bucks about their players and assets could come back to hurt them.

The Warriors and Timberwolves were two other teams pursuing Antetokounmpo, so how will their personnel react to the fact that they were included in these negotiations? Will either organization now deal with any toxic environments from players knowing they were going to be traded for Giannis?

Also, the Bucks can now take all of this information that they have on said teams into the offseason and use it to their advantage in future talks about Giannis or in other trade discussions for different players. It never hurts to get information about your competitors, and that is exactly what the Bucks have now.

Teams dreamed about pursuing Giannis at the trade deadline, and instead, they are left not knowing what direction to go now.

Golden State Warriors fans

Ever since Kevin Durant left the Warriors in 2019, this organization and owner Joe Lacob have dreamed of pursuing Giannis. The Warriors made a very compelling offer focused on several draft picks through 2032, and this did raise the Bucks’ eyebrows a little bit. However, Milwaukee was never going to trade Giannis, and Golden State’s players in their package weren’t going to get a deal done, no matter what.

Warriors fans may have a little bit of déjà vu after the same thing happened last season with trade talks for Kevin Durant falling through. The only difference is back then, the Dubs pivoted and got a deal done for another All-Star — Jimmy Butler.

This year, the Warriors couldn’t pivot to another big name not only because there weren’t any available that made sense to trade for, but also because this organization wasn’t willing to pay the asking prices around the league.

Jaren Jackson Jr. got traded to the Utah Jazz for three first-round picks, and that’s a price the Warriors would not meet. Trey Murphy III was not going to be on the move from the New Orleans Pelicans, especially with that organization asking for at least three first-round picks.

With Butler out for the season, landing another star to pair with Stephen Curry is what Warriors fans had hoped for to try and make more title pushes at the end of Curry’s career. Well, the Warriors pivoted to Option C before the deadline, finally trading Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield for Kristaps Porzingis.

Is this enough for the Warriors? Porzingis can obviously help the Warriors get to and compete in the playoffs, if healthy, but the fact of the matter is that this is another year where Golden State doesn’t appear to have a shot at competing at the top of the West with the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and other teams vying for a championship.

Since the offseason, fans of this team had been hoping to land a big name utilizing draft picks and Kuminga’s contract. After the deadline, Kuminga is now gone, no new star is on the roster, and Porzingis’ health problems loom large over his chances of making an impact before becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Ja Morant

It is no secret to anyone that Ja Morant’s relationship with the Memphis Grizzlies‘ front office and head coach Tuomas Iisalo is beyond repair. Morant may love playing in Memphis and for the Grizzlies’ fans, but it’s clear he will be traded in the offseason after the team failed to find a trade for him right now before the NBA trade deadline.

To make matters worse for Morant, he now finds himself in a tough position. The Grizzlies are rebuilding, and he knows he won’t be a part of that future with these young talents, so where does everyone go from here?

Do the Grizzlies shut down Morant for the rest of the season? Will Morant even let the team bench him for the next two months?

If we know anything about Ja, it’s that he loves to play. Now that he is staying in Memphis, for now, he will not want to sit out games and help the Grizzlies tank for draft position.

This is going to spiral into a toxic situation really quickly, especially after Memphis traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz, who was one of Morant’s closest friends.

Sacramento Kings

Compared to other teams around the league, at least there is some sort of vision for the Sacramento Kings. Keegan Murray and Nique Clifford are two young, promising-looking talents, and De’Andre Hunter is a key veteran who can help bridge some gaps on the wing.

However, the main reason the Kings find themselves as losers of this trade deadline cycle is that they once again could not find any trades for Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Malik Monk. Also, their trade discussions with the Toronto Raptors surrounding Domantas Sabonis never gained significant traction since Sacramento was unwilling to take on Jakob Poeltl’s contract.

Perhaps this will all be revisited in the offseason, and the Kings will get the exact trade they want from Toronto or someone else for Sabonis, but LaVine and DeRozan basically hold negative value at this point and will be forced to finish their contracts with the Kings unless bought out, which does not appear likely.

This organization still needs to find a way to stockpile young assets and draft picks, but there is no path forward for them to do so with the players on their roster. Signing Dennis Schroder this past offseason turned out to be a swing and a miss by the Kings, and now it appears as if it will take them several years to be where they envision.

It is crazy to think that just a few years ago, this franchise looked to be one of the most promising in the entire league with De’Aaron Fox leading the way. That goes to show how quickly things can fall apart for teams in the NBA.

The post 2026 NBA trade deadline: Heat, all Giannis Antetokounmpo suitors among biggest losers appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Heat were one of the most prominently mentioned teams on the market, as they were in on Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, Miami, as has been the case for much of the past few years, could not get a deal done over the line.

Meanwhile, there is a chance that the Rockets regret their passiveness on the trade market. They are experiencing speedbumps as of late, including back-to-back double-digit losses to the shorthanded Boston Celtics and the upstart Charlotte Hornets. Their lack of a true point guard to lead the team seems to be hurting them, and the loss of Steven Adams for the season is causing damage to the team’s identity.

Only the Spurs’ refusal to get themselves involved on the trade market appears to be of their own choice. They are confident in their current core, and they already pulled off their blockbuster trade last year when they acquired De’Aaron Fox. With a 35-16 record, this confidence of theirs is well-placed.

Even without Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, the NBA trade deadline delivered

Many were waiting for the Antetokounmpo shoe to drop, but it never did. Nonetheless, All-Stars such as James Harden, Anthony Davis, Trae Young, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Darius Garland, just to name a few, switched teams, while quality players such as Ivica Zubac, Kristaps Porzingis, and Nikola Vucevic were also moved.

Some of these trades, such as the Washington Wizards’ acquisitions of Davis and Young as well as the Utah Jazz’s trade for Jackson, are geared towards making a leap next season.

The post Heat, Rockets, Spurs the 3 teams that failed to make trade before NBA trade deadline appeared first on ClutchPoints.

In the report that covered what Milwaukee was looking for from teams in a potential deal for Antetokounmpo, it was draft assets with young players, as Miami has a good sort of them. With Kel’el Ware being an obvious choice to be in the package, Jaquez has ascended into a vital player for the Heat at 24 years old.

Coming off a sophomore slump, he came into his third season with motivation, as head coach Erik Spoelstra has locked in Jaquez as the first player off the bench, putting him in contention for Sixth Man of the Year. He’s averaging 15.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 51.8 percent from the field, as he was aware of the trade rumors surrounding him and revealed the “reality” with it.

“It’s hard in this day and age to be unaware of it, but I just deal with reality,” Jaquez said after Thursday’s practice. “And the reality of the situation is, what’s in front of me? And as of now, I’m here, and that’s where my focus lies, and whatever happens, happens. I’m gonna say the famous words, ‘it is a business.’ So, these are the employers, and they decide what they want to do with you. And I’m just thankful and blessed to be here, and as long as I’m here, I’ll continue to give my all.”

Heat’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. on having buzz for Sixth Man of the Year award

Besides the Heat having first-time All-Star Norman Powell, Jaquez has been a vital player for the team, bringing to Miami an offensive gutpunch that falls well with their fast-paced style of offense that emphasizes driving to the paint. There is a positive to being in trade rumors, which is that he has immense value.

“Yeah, sure,” Jaquez said. “I mean, teams are gonna want you. Other teams are not gonna want you. But, like I said, I just kind of deal with the reality. And, as of now, I’m here until that changes, then we’re gonna figure it out.”

The perspective shift has led to Jaquez working with a mental coach in the offseason, which has paid dividends, even leading to being a major candidate to win the Sixth Man of the Year award, as said before.

“It’s great,” Jaquez said about the buzz he’s getting with the award. “But just continuing to play the game the right way. You know, when you win things, things end up going good for everybody. So I’m just a product of that, you know, we’re playing pretty solid. Could be playing a lot better, but, you know, when you play well, that’s kind of what comes along with it.”

With the trade deadline in the rearview mirrow, there’s no denying that Miami will make a play at Antetokounmpo in the offseason with a chance of Jaquez being in those discussions. However, he’s focused on lending a hand to improving the team as the Heat are 27-25, which puts them seventh in the Eastern Conference before Friday’s game against the Boston Celtics.

The post Exclusive: Heat’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. reveals ‘reality’ of being in trade rumors amid impressive third season appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Powell has no doubt made a huge impact in his first season with Miami, leading the team with averaging 23 points per game while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from three-point range. The 32-year-old has spoken time and time again about wanting to be an All-Star, making the nod that much more “meaningful.”

“Just a milestone that I accomplished that I set out as a kid,” Powell said after Thursday’s practice. “I always wanted to be at that stage. I think it’s a testament of my hard work, my commitment to the game, my continued belief in myself at the level of player that I can be and continue to strive to be. So it’s definitely a great accomplishment for me, personally. I wouldn’t be able to be in a position if it wasn’t for the organization, for the team, my teammates allowed me to come in here as a new player in the system, and accepting me for who I am, and allowing me to be me.”

Norman Powell back with the Heat as he speaks for the first time to the media about being a first time All-Star and how “meaningful” it is.

In second vid, spoke about how he watched the announcement with some family and friends on zoom. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/zNIIuKU12U

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 5, 2026

The good news keeps coming for the first-time All-Star in Powell as he announced on his Instagram about the birth of his child. Powell had missed the last three games due to “personal reasons,” but is now back with the team, making a return to practice on Thursday.

Heat’s Norman Powell on the full-circle moment of being an All-Star

While the Heat’s Powell has spoken before about being an All-Star, that talk persisted when he was with the Los Angeles Clippers, being considered a snub last season as he was amidst a career-year. Having missed out, one of his goals was doing so with Miami, making a full circle moment, and one where he harkened back to the noise surrounding him in the public eye.

“I think it’s a moment that just solidified everything I was saying, you know, people were looking at me, talking about me crazy on social media when I first came out and opened up about that being one of my goals, and saying, ‘I’m an All-Star, I believe I am one.’ This dated back to when I first got to the Clippers,” Powell said to ClutchPoints. “People kind of blasted me, killed me in the media for saying that. But it’s the belief I had in myself and my abilities and the work that I continue to put in each and every year, each and every summer, just trying to work on my game, get better.”

“And so the work that I put in, it was just like sticking to the moment, they’ve always doubted me and my abilities, and trying to put me in this box that I’ve always believed in myself and that I’m capable of more,” Powell continued. “So it’s a good accomplishment, but it’s not the peak for me. You know, there’s a lot more to go out and get. There’s a lot more wins that we need to go get. So now it’s just focusing back in how we can close out these last couple games before the break.”

Asked Norman Powell if it was a full circle moment for him to continuously talking about wanting to be an All-Star to finally being one.

Would harken back to people that “blasted” him for talking like that, spoke more on the accomplishment. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/6sf46ACw7O

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 5, 2026

Heat’s Norman Powell gives perspective on current point in the season

With the Heat looking to maintain its problems with the team hovering over .500, Powell is hoping to bring some consistency back into the fold whether it be in the locker room or on the floor. It doesn’t help that the team has been dealing with players coming in and out of the lineup like Powell, Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell, and especially Tyler Herro, who has eclipsed 40 total absences.

The urgency is at its peak, with Powell saying to ClutchPoints that they’re at a point where seeding matters as Miami tries to reach familiar heights, with the Heat having finished as an eighth seed and in the play-in tourney for the past three seasons.

“Just being able to watch and see how I can come back in and affect the game,” Powell said. “It’s not always about coming back in and affecting with my ability, but in a leadership role. When you’re able to watch the games, and you’re not in it, you’re able to see certain things that we’re missing as a team, or things that we can clean up and get better at, so coming back in and filling that void and being more vocal in that leadership role and making sure that we’re all tied together.”

“I know people are saying different things in the media about where we’re at with teams and stuff,” Powell continued. “That we’ve lost to games that we should have won, but that doesn’t matter now, it’s all about locking back in and getting this thing right…going into the break and moving forward, because now all these games have a little extra meaning to it…So getting this team back into the belief and the confidence of it, individually and collectively, and going out there and putting on a good brand of basketball going forward.”

Asked Norman Powell about the motivation he has now being an All-Star and wanting to turn around the team.

Says besides coming in and impacting the game on the floor, wants to continue to provide a leadership role.

More below: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/cOePEh6Yl0

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 5, 2026

At any rate, Powell looks to show why he’s an All-Star in Miami’s next game on Thursday against the Boston Celtics.

The post Heat’s Norman Powell makes ‘meaningful’ admission on first All-Star nod appeared first on ClutchPoints.