The Norman Powell-less Miami Heat faced off in Dallas tonight against the Anthony Davis led Mavericks.
The Heat are 1-0 against them this season, after a close win on November 24th during Tyler Herro’s season debut. Miami started a lineup of Herro, Davion Mitchell, Andrew Wiggins, Pelle Larsson, and Bam Adebayo.
Much like the first match-up with this team, it wasn’t the smoothest offensive night with high scoring totals. When two top five defenses clash, it’s definitely a more measured battle.
So, let’s get into some takeaways:
1. Tyler Herro finding his downhill flow early.
Dec 3, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) controls the ball as Dallas Mavericks guard Max Christie (00) defends during the first quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Before I get into some of the first half problems, the one source of positivity was Tyler Herro. He was the only one finding real success on offense, and a lot of it was coming on 1-on-1 attacks down the slot. When he’s able to get to the basket early, it just sets a tone for him from there. The outside shot opened up a bit, he got back to the floater, and he ran the break well. His shot profile has been pretty strong since his return, since he’s eliminated those deep two point pull-ups from his bag completely. 20 points at half on 8 of 12 shooting is a good start to trying to keep your team afloat offensively. The one issue: it went quiet from there in the second half.
2. The bigger problem: rough shooting vs disappointing defense.
Dec 3, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) shoots past Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell (45) during the first half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
When taking a look at some halftime shooting percentages, you would notice the Heat shooting 21% from three and the Mavs shooting 56% from three. So what’s the bigger problem: the shooting or the defense? Coming into this game against a top 5 defense, it wasn’t expected to be a smooth offensive night. But what is expected is bringing a consistent amount of defensive effort. After some strong signs out the gate, it completely fell apart on that side of the floor in the second quarter. They were sending tons of doubles at Anthony Davis which turned into open threes, plus the Mavs ball-handlers were walking past the perimeter defense often. The high scoring totals have been fun, but that only happens when the Heat defend.
3. One player needs a promotion.
Dec 3, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) looks to pass as Miami Heat center Kel’el Ware (7) defends during the first half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Let’s put starting lineup talk aside for a moment. But Kel’el Ware needs to be getting high level minutes in match-ups like this one. Walking into the fourth quarter with only 13 minutes logged, he found himself with more points than minutes. His activity was good in his short spurts, plus he was one of the few areas of real scoring possibilities aside from Herro. The three ball was dropping, he was grabbing offensive boards, and he was taking what was given. The main thing that jumped out with the rotation was not getting any minutes with him next to Adebayo until 5 minutes left in the fourth. It’s something that should be valued.