After posting at least 20 points in two consecutive games, Swedish-born guard Pelle Larsson has become a surprising standout for the Miami Heat.
Larsson aims to extend his streak on Tuesday night when Miami hosts the Atlanta Hawks.
Larsson averages just 10.3 points for the year, which ranks seventh on the team. However, Larsson has capitalized on extra minutes recently as the Heat have been playing without 2026 All-Star Norman Powell (personal reasons), 2025 All-Star Tyler Herro (toe injury) and 2022 first-round pick Nikola Jovic (hip).
Additionally, starting point guard Davion Mitchell missed six games with a shoulder injury before returning for Sunday’s 134-91 victory over Chicago.
Larsson, a Stockholm native whose father played for the Swedish National Team, has made a habit of filling any role necessary. He was a starter for three of his four college seasons, but earned the Pac-12’s 2022 Sixth Man of the Year honor for Arizona in his lone year as a backup.
In 2024, Larsson was Houston’s second-round pick, but the Heat traded for him on draft night. He started only eight games as a rookie, averaging 4.6 points. This season, he has started 30 games and his production has more than doubled.
But production doesn’t just mean scoring.
Larsson draws charges, makes the extra pass and helps Miami win.
“Pelle makes the right play,” Heat captain Bam Adebayo said. “He does the little things.
“Sometimes he scores 20 points. Sometimes he scores two. But he makes an impact either way.”
Overall, the Heat have won four of their past six games and haven’t dropped consecutive games since Jan. 6-11.
They are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with a 27-24 record, three games ahead of 10th-place Atlanta.
The Hawks also have won four of their last six, but they enter Tuesday with a two-game losing streak.
Hawks coach Quin Snyder continues to make tweaks in the wake of last month’s blockbuster trade that sent Atlanta’s all-time assists and 3-point leader Trae Young to Washington.
The team now revolves around forward Jalen Johnson, who recorded his eighth triple-double of the season in Saturday’s 129-124 loss to Indiana.
Johnson had 33 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. For the season, he averages 23.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists.
The Hawks’ losing streak has coincided with the absence of starting center Onyeka Okongwu, who has missed two games and remains day-to-day after getting hit in the face and suffering a dental fracture on Jan. 28 against Boston.
“Onyeka is the most selfless ball-mover on our team,” Snyder said. “When our guys get him the ball, they know they will get it back.
“He will make a play for someone else. He sets the example, but we need everyone to play with the same mindset.”
Miami ranks second in the league in scoring average (120.0 ppg) while Atlanta shares ninth (117.2 ppg).
Nickell Alexander-Walker serves as Atlanta’s second-leading scorer (20.3 ppg). CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert — acquired in the Young trade — are being used as reserves. They are combining for 27.6 points in 47.1 minutes per game.
Snyder simply wants his team to play unselfish basketball.
“When we play well, we are getting in the lane, and we’re kicking the ball out, and we’re running and spacing,” Snyder said. “It’s something we believe in. It’s not a lack of buy-in. It just requires execution.”
–Field Level Media
