The Miami Heat are looking to keep their season alive on April 18, and they expect to do it with one of this year’s most promising contributors — center Kel’el Ware — on the floor.
Kel’el Ware Cleared for Heat’s Win-or-Go-Home Matchup
Kel’el Ware will suit up for the Heat in their win-and-in game against the Atlanta Hawks. Miami is aiming to clinch its third straight playoff berth through the NBA Play-In Tournament, and having Ware available boosts their odds.
The No. 15 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Ware averaged 9.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game across 64 regular-season appearances. He started and played 22 minutes in Miami’s 109-90 rout of the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, April 16, scoring six points and grabbing nine rebounds.
Advanced stats also show Ware’s impact. The Heat were 1.3 points per possession better with him on the floor than off it during the regular season, per Cleaning the Glass. He’s been a strong rim protector, especially when paired with perennial DPOY candidate Bam Adebayo. The duo has held opponents to just 53.9% shooting at the rim, according to Cleaning the Glass.
Heat Lean on Defense, Pace Against Hawks
The Hawks don’t rely heavily on rim-running, but their fast pace presents an interesting contrast. Atlanta ranks as the third-fastest team in the league, while Miami plays at the third-slowest tempo. That could work in the Heat’s favor — the Hawks just lost to the Orlando Magic, the second-slowest team in the NBA, in the No. 7 vs. No. 8 play-in game.
Atlanta is led by Trae Young, who topped the league with 11.6 assists per game, on top of 24.2 points per game. Miami and Atlanta split their season series 2-2, but Ware started the last three meetings and averaged 11.7 rebounds in those games, with the Heat taking two of three.
Ware vs. Zaccharie Risacher, Key Rookie Showdown
Ware will share the court tonight with another top rookie: Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick in 2024, who starts for the eighth-seeded Hawks. Both players are projected to make the All-Rookie First Team, according to Steve Aschburner of NBA.com.
Ware began his college career at Oregon before transferring to Indiana, while Risacher played professionally for JL Bourg in France’s LNB Élite league ahead of the draft.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET in Atlanta, where Ware and the Heat will try to make it three straight years of play-in success. The winner claims the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference and a first-round series against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.
