Jaime Jaquez Jr. dominates in Las Vegas Summer League debut. Also, other Heat observations

Jaime Jaquez Jr. did exactly what he was expected to do in summer league after making the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team last season.

Dominate.

Jaquez, who the Heat selected with the 18th overall pick in last year’s draft, turned in a 29-point double-double to help lift the Heat to a 119-114 victory over the Boston Celtics to open Las Vegas Summer League on Saturday at Cox Pavilion on UNLV’s campus.

“Jaime was a leader out there,” Heat player development coach and summer league head coach Dan Bisaccio said. “He was able to get us settled, he was able to get us organized. Those are all things that translate to his second season, so we’re very excited about that.”

Jaquez was a force, totaling 29 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field and 9-of-11 shooting from the foul line, 11 rebounds, five assists and one steal in his first summer league action of the year after working with Team USA’s Select Team earlier in the week. All of Jaquez’s makes came from inside the paint on Saturday.

“You’re the hunter and now coming back after a year under your belt, you’re kind of the hunted,” said Jaquez, who’s expected to play in one more Las Vegas Summer League game on Monday before shutting it down. “So it was definitely a good experience to go out there.”

In a game full of rookies, undrafted players and others working to earn a roster spot in the NBA, the 23-year-old Jaquez stood out with his ability to consistently generate offense during the most important moments of the game. He scored 11 points and dished out two assists in the fourth quarter to help the Heat hold on for the win.

“I think I just wanted to get better, No. 1,” Jaquez said of what he’s hoping to take from this year’s summer league experience. “I think, No. 2 is working on things in my game and things outside of basketball that still translate such as leadership and being very vocal — both on the defensive and offensive end and huddles.”

The Heat new first-round pick Kel’el Ware also produced some positive moments, contributing 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field, 1-of-2 shooting on threes and 2-of-4 shooting from the foul line, three rebounds, three assists and three blocks on Saturday to begin Las Vegas Summer League. But there were also moments that Ware, 20, was out-maneuvered on the boards by the more experienced 25-year-old Neemias Queta of the Celtics.

“It’s always reps,” Ware said of battling against Queta. “This is my first go around with all of this. Just being able to battle against him, see how everything is, get used to the environment and get used to everything that’s going on. I feel like that was some good practice.”

Jaquez and Ware started Saturday’s summer league game for the Heat alongside Pelle Larsson, Keshad Johnson and Isaiah Stevens. All five players are on some type of contract with the Heat — Jaquez, Larsson and Ware are on track to be on the standard roster, Johnson is signed to a two-way deal and Stevens committed to an Exhibit 10 tryout contract.

Larsson, who was selected by the Heat in the second round of this year’s draft, contributed four points, five rebounds and three assists.

Johnson was solid with 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal. He produced the highlight of the game when he stole the ball with four seconds left in the third quarter and raced down the court for a ferocious dunk as the third-quarter buzzer sounded.

Stevens played the role of facilitator, recording nine points and 11 assists to just one turnover. The undrafted guard out of Colorado State has dished out 18 assists to just four turnovers in his last two summer league appearances.

One Heat player who was under contract but now isn’t also shined, as Cole Swider scored 15 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three-point range. Swider, who spent last season on a two-way deal with the Heat, is an unrestricted free agent after Miami withdrew his qualifying offer on Thursday.

Here are other observations and things to know from the Heat’s summer league win over the Celtics:

▪ Josh Christopher added an efficient 20 points for the Heat on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and 3-of-3 shooting on threes.

▪ Guard Alondes Williams was not in uniform for Saturday’s game, as he was given a day off by the Heat. Williams watched the contest from the team’s bench in a Heat sweatsuit. Like Swider, Williams is also an unrestricted free agent after the Heat pulled his qualifying offer on Thursday.

▪ The Heat’s contingent at Saturday’s game included assistant coaches Chris Quinn, Malik Allen and Eric Glass, general manager Andy Elisburg, and assistant general manager Adam Simon. Heat center Thomas Bryant, Heat forward Duncan Robinson and Heat icon and vice president of basketball development Udonis Haslem also watched from inside Cox Pavilion.

▪ The Heat plays its second of at least five Las Vegas Summer League games on Monday against the Oklahoma City Thunder (6 p.m. ESPNU). After posting a 2-1 record in the California Classic, the Heat now holds a 3-1 summer league record this year.