Why Pele Larsson felt well-rested despite ankle rehab after return against Hawks

Pele Larsson did not give up on his recovery from a recent ankle injury after returning to the court in Miami Heat match against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

Larson is in the second season of his NBA career with the Heat. He has seen his role grow in the team, which bodes well for the start of the 2025-26 campaign.

However, he suffered an ankle injury against the Orlando Magic on December 9. That forced him to the sidelines for more than two weeks, as he missed the Heat’s last five games.

Larson returned against Atlanta and didn’t miss a beat. In 30 minutes of action, he finished with 21 points, six rebounds, five assists and a steal. He shot 9-of-13 from the field, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. The young guard it reflected in his performance after the game during a broadcast interview, via Heat Central.

“It was frustrating to watch from the sidelines. I was fixing my ankle, but the rest of my body was just resting, so I had a lot of energy to come here and make an impact,” Larsson said.

Pele Larsson posted a game in his first game back from injury 🔥

“It was frustrating to watch from the sidelines. I was fixing my ankle, but the rest of my body was just resting, so I had a lot of energy to come here and make an impact.” pic.twitter.com/fbKrpLD6RH

— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) December 27, 2025

As Pele Larsson, the Heat played against the Hawks

The Heat may be relieved to have one of their quality guards back on the wing with Pele Larsson. On top of that, an away win over their division rival the Hawks was an advantage.

The game started out tight with both teams even at 32 apiece after the first quarter. However, Miami came up big in the second and fourth quarters to put enough distance to keep Atlanta out of reach.

Six players scored in double figures for Miami in the win, including Larson. Norman Powell led the way with 25 points, seven rebounds, five assists and a steal. He shot 9 of 16 overall, including 2 of 8 from downtown and 5 of 5 from the free throw line. It was Andrew Wiggins’ turn with 18 points and eight rebounds, Kelle Ware had 16 points and 13 rebounds, Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 16 points and five rebounds, while Nikola Jovic had 10 points and seven rebounds.

Miami improved to 16-15 on the season, holding onto eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings. They are 0.5 games above the Chicago Bulls and 1.5 games above the Hawks, while trailing the Cleveland Cavaliers by 0.5 games and the Orlando Magic by one game.

The Heat will be looking forward to their next match, as it will be at home. They host the Indiana Pacers on December 27 at 8:00 PM ET before facing the Denver Nuggets on December 29 at 7:30 PM ET.