ClutchPoints
MIAMI – It was a thrilling night for the Miami Heat as they beat the Dallas Mavericks in overtime, 123-118, in what was their second straight win after a week-long break. The Heat was led by another great outing from Jimmy Butler, but it was the second unit that got a shoutout from the star, more specifically, second-round rookie Pelle Larsson.
While Butler would lead Miami with 33 points on 11 for 17 shooting, as well as making 11 of 16 from the free-throw line, he also recorded nine rebounds and six assists. Larsson, on the other hand, would score 14 points with five rebounds coming off the bench as Butler would go as far as to say that the Swedish-born player reminds him of himself when he was much younger.
“He can just do everything. He really do, like he can shoot the ball, he can handle the ball, he can finish, he can guard,” Butler said. “I think as the game continuously slows down for him, he’s just going to get more and more comfortable. It’s really going to be hard for Spo to take him off the floor. I like the way that I always see him in early, leaving late, and honestly, he reminds me of myself whenever I was younger in this league, but he could probably shoot the ball a lot better than I could though.”
Jimmy Butler speaks highly of Pelle Larsson.
“It’s really gonna be hard for Spo to take him off the floor…he reminds me of myself when I was younger in this league, he probably could shoot the ball better than I could…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/N8i4DMJfwa
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) November 25, 2024
As the Heat rookie in Larsson had been looking for more playing time, he got his wish, getting extended minutes, playing 36 of them, saying after the game how it felt “good” to get another opportunity. He would have an efficient shooting night, making six of his eight attempts, but was also a pest on the defensive end.
Pelle Larsson on getting extended minutes tonight and his team giving him good looks.
“It feels good…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/AcnF3vyDVN
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) November 25, 2024
However, it was also the performance from veteran guard Alec Burks that gave Miami some key scoring throughout the game, looking to knock off Dallas, who went to the NBA Finals last season. It was a solid effort for Bam Adebayo, who finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists as he said to ClutchPoints after the game that Burks has the “professionalism” to take advantage of the playing time, which could be sparse.
“Man, they made their mark in the game,” Adebayo said when talking about the bench. “They impacted winning tonight. They hit some big shots. But it’s the preparation that y’all see behind the scenes. Because, you know, Alec...
