LAS VEGAS — As the Miami Heat’s summer schedule winds down, the key is to see if boxes have been checked off.
At least three were in Monday night’s 100-96 victory over the Boston Celtics at the Las Vegas NBA Summer League.
Would Pelle Larsson remain a feisty presence intent on challenging for a rotation role? Check, closing with 24 points and six assists, with a scrap along the way that left Boston’s Jordan Walsh ejected.
Would Kel’el Ware back up his 21-point, nine-rebound performance in Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers? Check, this time closing with 21 points, including three 3-pointers, and 15 rebounds.
Can Keshad Johnson show why the Heat guaranteed his contract for next season? At least a tease, with 22 points, mostly in attack mode.
Would first-round pick Kasparas Jakucionis have a second quality summer-league performance in the wake of a Sunday dud against the Cavaliers? That had to wait with Jakucionis held out Monday by summer coach Eric Glass.
So some questions answered, some remain, now with two games left in summer league.
Five Degrees of Heat from Monday night’s game:
1. For starters: In what might have been closing night for summer league for the returning roster players, the Heat opened with a lineup of Larsson, Ware and Johnson, flanked by Kira Lewis Jr. and Erik Stevenson.
That meant a night off for Jakucionis after his uneven, six-point struggle in Sunday’s loss .
Larsson was scheduled to return to Sweden for work with the national team after the game, with the Heat likely to utilize the balance of their summer schedule for their newcomers.
2. Next big thing: In the wake of his team being pulverized on the boards in losing the first two games in Las Vegas, Glass went big midway through the first period. That had 7-foot Ware playing alongside 7-1 Vlad Goldin.
Ware took advantage to promptly step outside for a 3-pointer, as an unlikely stretch four, draining another in the second period.
The two also played together later in the game.
Ware was up to 10 points and eight rebounds at the intermission, later in the third period slapping a shot attempt for former University of Miami guard Isaiah Wong into the stands in the third period.
3. Larsson feisty: Larsson closed out his summer stint with another quality effort, one that included a first-quarter four-point play as part of his 14-point first half.
Larsson then got into a brief tussle in the second period after being fouled and shoved into the first row by Walsh.
Larsson then went back at Walsh, with both players assessed technical fouls.
The technical foul was Walsh’s second and he was ejected.
4. Powell in attendance: Heat trade acquisition Norman Powell was in attendance, seated with Erik Spoelstra and the coaching staff across from the Heat bench.
ESPN personality and Heat executive Udonis Haslem also sat with that group, hours after joking on an ESPN appearance that he knows a team that very much would embrace a LeBron James return, amid James’ uncertainty with the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I do know a place where he is welcomed, and he will always be welcomed,” Haslem said on NBA Today. “Just to put that out there.”
5. Up next: The Heat conclude their set schedule on Thursday at 4 p.m. Eastern against the Detroit Pistons’ summer roster (NBA TV), with one additional game in Vegas to be added as the playoff round begins. That additional game will be played on either Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
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