3 Studs and 3 Duds from the Spurs suspenseful loss to Heat

Dud: Keldon Johnson Crunch Time Play

Keldon took a turn for the worse in the fourth quarter. After showing a team-first mindset, Johnson resorted to hero ball, only scoring five points on 2-of-6 shooting in the deciding frame. His six shot attempts in the period were double what any of his teammates had. Wembanyama was a perfect 3-of-3 in the fourth after a shaky start, but he wouldn't receive a single shot over the final nine minutes.

In the last five minutes, Johnson would go 1-of-5 from the field as he forced multiple contested three-pointers. Then, with less than a minute left in the game and the Spurs down four points, Johnson made a poor decision to drive into three defenders and coughed up the rock at a critical juncture. His only turnover of the night was the one that sealed the loss for San Antonio.

Johnson must vastly improve his late-game decision-making. This slip-up wasn't a first for him. And those habits could become a significant issue if he can't adjust. There's a difference between making simple mistakes as a rookie or second-year player and making them as a five-year veteran.

Dud: Devin Vassell

While Vassell has been solid so far in the early season, he had a poor shooting night against the Heat. The fourth-year swingman only had 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting. The Spurs have leaned on Vassell as their go-to scorer to generate a sizeable chunk of their offense. When he isn't hitting his shots efficiently, the entire offense suffers.

Despite an off night from the field and a -15 plus-minus, Vassell still played solid basketball, recording seven rebounds and four assists. The former lottery selection still found a way to come up clutch when the Spurs needed an injection of momentum, hitting a massive three over two Heat defenders late in the fourth.

Though Vassell struggled against the Heat on Sunday, he is still having a remarkable season, shooting 50.5% from the floor and 42.9% from three. He won't always be perfect, but it's promising to see the burgeoning sharpshooter not lose confidence in his shot and continue pounding the rock.