NBA: Kel'el Ware stuffs stat sheet as Heat hand Nets 10th straight loss

Kel'el Ware delivered a standout performance, scoring 16 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, blocking a career-high seven shots, and adding five steals to lead the host Miami Heat to a 126-110 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night.

Tyler Herro contributed 25 points, while Bam Adebayo added 21 for Miami, which extended its winning streak to three games despite missing its leading scorer, Norman Powell, due to a groin injury.

For Brooklyn, Michael Porter Jr. led the team with 27 points and 13 rebounds. The Nets, however, suffered their 10th consecutive loss, the longest active skid in the NBA, and fell to 1-40 when trailing after three quarters. Miami also completed a season sweep of Brooklyn, 3-0, marking the first time the Nets were swept by the Heat since 2016-2017.

The game started with Brooklyn committing seven turnovers in the first four minutes but rebounding with a 9-0 run to take a 20-18 lead. Miami closed the first quarter ahead 31-26, fueled by 11 points from Adebayo, despite shooting just 44% overall. The Nets shot 50% but struggled to convert key opportunities.

The second quarter saw a 15-4 run from Brooklyn, but the Heat still led 60-56 at halftime. Miami capitalized on turnovers, scoring 15 points off 11 Nets miscues, while Brooklyn managed just eight points off seven Miami errors.

Adebayo faced foul trouble in the third quarter, picking up two fouls in 12 seconds and leaving the game with five fouls and the score tied at 72. Even without Adebayo for the rest of the quarter, Miami surged ahead to a 95-83 lead and maintained control to close out the game.

Miami dominated the paint, 68-48, and led in fast-break points, 19-6, while also outscoring Brooklyn 24-13 off turnovers.

The Heat continue their strong run, proving depth and resilience even without Powell, while the Nets search for answers amid a tough stretch of games.

—Field Level Media/Reuters