Heat edge Spurs 88-87 to open California Classic, handing San Antonio a late miss

The Miami Heat opened their California Classic schedule with an 88-87 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday at Chase Center, turning a one-point margin into a statement that their young rotation can execute late. San Antonio created a chance in the closing seconds when guard R.J. Davis got a look from the top of the key, but his potential game-winner missed, leaving the Spurs just short in their Summer League opener.

From the Spurs’ side, the night offered early reads on a developing mix of draft picks, two-way experience, and recent free-agent/roster experimentation typical of July basketball. Pounding The Rock reported that San Antonio started three players tied to its recent draft activity, including Terris Reed Jr., Ja’Kobi Gillespie, and Maliq Brown, with Emanuel Miller also returning as part of the summer picture, along with Miles Kelly.

Reed Jr. stood out in how San Antonio tried to organize actions around him. The Spurs’ offense used Reed as a screener on both perimeter and cutter-related plays, and he appeared designed to create passing angles and offensive rebounds for a group still adjusting to speed and spacing. In addition, Pounding The Rock described Isaiah Hartenstein’s role as part of the frontcourt identity, noting that while he had stretches of positive play, his offense did not fully come together in the opener.

Hartenstein, the UConn product at the center of Miami’s Western Conference Finals folklore, finished with 10 points and seven rebounds, according to Pounding The Rock. The same report also detailed moments that looked like the beginnings of an offensive rhythm, including a late first-half post-spin into a short baby hook and a fourth-quarter effort in traffic after being pinned deep.

The shooting and shot-creation balance on the Spurs’ perimeter looked uneven. Pounding The Rock noted Gillespie struggled from the field, finishing 3-for-17 while still contributing 10 points with eight assists and only one turnover, which is the kind of assist-to-turnover profile that can matter even in a narrow loss.

Miami’s answer came from a scoring committee anchored by rookie Ryan Conwell, plus returning or familiar summer names. The Sun Sentinel reported that Conwell scored 21 points in his debut after being selected No. 37 overall from Louisville last week, and he added three made 3-pointers while shooting 4-for-12 overall.

The Heat also leaned on guard Jahmir Young (21 points) and Trevor Keels (18) and got production from center Vlad Goldin, who scored 14 points and added rebounding and playmaking contributions. Sun Sentinel further described Goldin converting a 3-pointer in the third period, with the Heat’s coaching staff led by assistant coach Wayne Ellington in his first summer game as head coach.

With the opener decided by a single possession, the practical takeaway is that both rosters are already operating under the constraints of Summer League basketball, where clarity on rotation and late-game reads can separate nights. Next, keep an eye on whether the Spurs can tighten perimeter efficiency and decision-making in their final sequence, and whether the Heat can reproduce the same late-game scoring distribution once the tournament-style schedule tightens.

key to watch: Spurs’ late possession execution (Davis’ final look) and Miami’s ability to sustain balanced scoring across Conwell, Young, Keels, and Goldin as games stack up.