Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra leaned heavily on a small-ball approach in Sunday night’s 107-101 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, but the strategy offered little relief as Miami struggled in the frontcourt and failed to match San Antonio’s physicality.
With Bam Adebayo as the lone reliable big man, the Heat were outmuscled inside and saw limited contributions from the power rotation. Nikola Jovic endured one of his toughest performances of the season, missing all five of his shots and finishing with one rebound in 9:30 of action as Miami was outscored by 13 during his minutes, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Rookie Kel’el Ware also struggled, going 0-for-4 and posting a minus-20 rating in nearly 21 minutes, his impact largely limited to seven rebounds — all while failing to establish himself in the paint, settling instead for attempts from distance.
Spoelstra had acknowledged pre-game that Miami would need to go small to counter Victor Wembanyama’s length and the Spurs’ fleet-footed wings. After the loss, he reiterated that scoring alone cannot define a young player’s contribution.
“We need impact plays — rebounding, defense, energy,” Spoelstra said, stressing that Ware must influence the game physically and that Jovic’s early missed layup appeared to sap his confidence. “These are growth moments. You have to find ways to bend the game in your direction.”
The Heat collapsed offensively in the third quarter, managing just 14 points and shooting 21.7% while getting beaten 15-8 on the boards. Simone Fontecchio pointed to decision-making lapses and cold shooting stretches that swung momentum firmly to San Antonio.
As Miami embarks on a demanding Western Conference road swing — beginning with the Los Angeles Lakers — Spoelstra emphasized the need for each player to generate a positive or at least neutral plus-minus impact.
“We have to help the team when we’re on the floor,” he said. “That’s the expectation.”
Miami will look to respond quickly as it faces LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and a surging Lakers squad next.