Kel'el Ware: season-high 28 points vs Knicks (Dec 21, 2025)
28 PTS · 11-of-15 FG · 5-of-7 3P · 1-of-2 FT · 34:30 MIN
Usual before this game: 11.9 PTS · 8.3 FGA · 24.3 MIN, from 28 regular-season games
Best Game Score of 29 games this season: 28.8 against a usual 12.7 (+16.1)
Season-high 28 points (previous high 24, set on Dec 19, 2025)
above usual
No more than 4 in 100 games by players at this level finish this far above their usual.
For a player who plays every game, a game this far above the usual comes about 2 to 4 times a season.
How the score worksWhy did Kel'el Ware score 28 points?
Kel'el Ware scored 28 points against the Knicks on Dec 21, 2025 in 34:30: 11-of-15 from the field (73.3%), 5-of-7 from three (71.4%), 1-of-2 on free throws. Coming in, Ware had averaged 11.9 points on 8.3 shots in 24.3 minutes, from 28 regular-season games. The 28 points were a season high, above the previous 24. By Game Score it was the best of 29 games this season. Ware took 15 shots, 6.7 more than usual. The 73.3% from the field compares with a usual 54.9%. By shot type: threes 15 points (usual 3.3); two-pointers 12 points (usual 6.9). Playing time was 34:30, against a usual 24.3 minutes; per 36 minutes, the Game Score was 30.1, against a usual 18.8. Ware had 19 rebounds, against a usual 10.4. At the Knicks, the Heat lost 132-125. The box score records what changed, not why: it holds no injury, matchup or coaching information.
Generated from the box score and this season's game log. How the score works
What changed
Ware in this game against the usual line
| Stat | This game | Usual (28 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 34:30 | 24.3 | +10.2 |
| Points | 28 | 11.9 | +16.1 |
| Shots (FGA) · FG% | 15 · 73.3% | 8.3 · 54.9% | +6.7 · +18.4 |
| 3PA · 3P% | 7 · 71.4% | 2.4 · 45.6% | +4.6 · +25.8 |
| FTA · FT% | 1-of-2 | 2.0 · 83.9% | 0.0 |
| Rebounds | 19 | 10.4 | +8.6 |
| Assists | 0 | 0.6 | -0.6 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1.1 | -0.1 |
| UsageUsual: minutes-weighted average of per-game usage, 28 games | 20.7 | 17.2 | +3.5 |
| Game Score per 36 minutes | 30.1 | 18.8 | +11.3 |
Points by shot type
Twos, threes and free throws: the changes add up to the points change
| Shot type | This game | Usual (28 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threes | 15 (5-of-7) | 3.3 (1.1-of-2.4) | +11.7 |
| Twos | 12 (6-of-8) | 6.9 (3.5-of-5.9) | +5.1 |
| Free throws | 1 (1-of-2) | 1.7 (1.7-of-2.0) | -0.7 |
| Total | 28 | 11.9 | +16.1 |
Game Score
One measure of the whole box score line
28.8 against a usual 12.7 (+16.1)
Its five parts
| Part | Change |
|---|---|
| Scoring, net of shot attempts | +13.7 |
| Rebounds | +3.7 |
| Assists | -0.4 |
| Steals and blocks | -0.9 |
| Turnovers and fouls | 0.0 |
| Total | +16.1 |
Season so far
Regular season, in date order
Best Game Score of 29 games this season.
Previous best: 26.3, set on Dec 19, 2025.
Context
From the rows this page already reads
- The Heat lost 132-125 at the Knicks.
- Previous appearance: Dec 19, 2025, 2 days earlier.
- Earlier regular-season meetings with the Knicks this season: 5 points (Oct 26, 2025), 15 points (Nov 14, 2025), 16 points (Nov 17, 2025).
What this page cannot tell you
The same on every performance page
Box scores record what happened, not why: no injuries or health, defensive assignments, matchups, coaching decisions or play-by-play.
Game Score against the player's own usual line. How rare a gap is comes from NBA regular-season games of 2023-24 and 2024-25, checked on 2025-26.