(Mandatory Credit: Tomas Diniz Santos/Getty Images)
While it wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing brand of basketball, the Miami Heat washed away the tanking Brooklyn Nets, 124-98, Tuesday evening inside Kaseya Center.
Miami was led by Bam Adebayo, who scored a game-high 23 points with nine rebounds on 11-of-24 shooting. Adebayo continued his torrid two-month stretch of play, as did Kel’el Ware, who’s popped in the rotation post-All-Star break.
The Heat’s two bigs made history in the team’s 26-point win as well. Though it’s not in the way you might think.
How Bam Adebayo, Kel’el Ware made history in win vs. Nets:
(Mandatory Credit: Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
It hasn’t been the easiest season from Ware — or even Adebayo, who battled foot-and-back injuries for several weeks before getting healthy in January.
But both are playing some of their most impactful basketball — together — this season. Tuesday was still an uneven game from Ware, who finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds on 5-of-8 shooting in 29 minutes off the bench. But, remarkably enough, both Adebayo and Ware recorded five-plus steals in the blowout win, making some history.
Adebayo and Ware became the first set of big men in NBA History to record at least five steals in the same game. Additionally, they are the third pair of Heat players to accomplish that feat, the first since Wayne Ellington and Josh Richardson did so in November of 2018.
Mario Chalmers, Dwyane Wade — Nov. 5, 2008
Ellington, Richardson — Nov. 27, 2018
Adebayo, Ware — March 3, 2026
Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware are the first set of bigs in NBA History to record 5+ steals in the same game, per @Stathead.
They’re also the third pair of Heat players to accomplish that feat — the first since Wayne Ellington/Josh Richardson in ‘18-19
(🎥: @nbaplaydb) #HEATNation pic.twitter.com/RRDHZPQ8OS
— Matt Hanifan (@mph_824_) March 4, 2026
They are the only two players to reach that milestone this season. Only eight sets of players have accomplished that feat over the last five seasons, including four times last season, according to Stathead.
Collectively, the Heat stole the rock 13 times, translating into 20 additional points. Miami led by as many as 27 in the blowout win, finishing a plus-eight in points in the paint, a plus-eight on the glass and a plus-six in the turnover battle.
It was a dominant win, and it was encouraging to see more history being made by the Heat’s two big men. When they share the floor together, they are an absurd plus-95 in just 161 possessions since the start of February, including a plus-28 in 74 possessions post-All-Star break.
It hasn’t always come against fruitful competition, but their improvement over that small(er) sample is a vast difference than it ever has been beforehand. Progress!
***
To check out our other content, click here.
Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Twitter/XÂ here!
Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Instagram here!
Check out Hot Hot Hoops on Facebook here!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel here!