Herro continues to deliver in clutch for Heat — even at the end of a rough shooting night
Heat guard Tyler Herro was nearing the end of a rough shooting night, but still had the confidence to take one of the biggest shots of the game in the final seconds.
“That’s part of Tyler’s greatness, that he doesn’t let previous misses or miscues or whatever affect his confidence or assertiveness down the stretch,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Close game, clutch game, moment of truth, he’s fearless.”
With the Heat trailing by two, Herro caught a pass from Jimmy Butler, dribbled to his right and threw a shoulder fake at his defender to create space. Herro took advantage to nail a step-back three with four seconds left on the shot clock, putting the Heat ahead by two with 55.3 seconds remaining in the game on the way to a much-needed 119-115 win against the Utah Jazz Monday night at Miami-Dade Arena.
Before that clutch shot — his final shot of the game — Herro was just 4 of 15 from the field and 1 of 9 from three-point range. After that shot, the Heat never trailed again.
Herro finished Monday’s victory with 18 points, six rebounds and two assists while shooting 5 of 16 (31.3 percent) from the field, 2 of 10 (20 percent) on threes and 6 of 6 from the foul line.
“I just shoot the same shot every time,” Herro said, with the Heat set to close a quick two-game homestand on Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies (7:30 p.m., Bally Sports Sun). “Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t. That’s part of basketball, and you got to mentally be prepared. If shots aren’t falling, you got be mentally strong enough to be able to take that shot at the end of the game and make it.”
Herro, 23, has proven to be exactly that this season.
In one-possession games with less than than a minute to play in the fourth quarter or overtime, Herro has totaled 27 points this season on an efficient 8-of-14 (57.1 percent) shooting and 4-of-8 (50 percent) on threes while making seven free throws. Butler is the only Heat player who has scored more points than Herro in that situation this season with 34.
Around the NBA, Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox (40 points), Dallas’ Luka Doncic (35 points), Atlanta’s Trae Young (31 points) and Butler are the only players with more points than Herro in this situation this season. Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton is tied with Herro with 27 points.
“A lot of guys go for 1 for 9 and they won’t shoot that last shot,” Herro continued. “Some might say it’s a bad shot. But I’m going to stay confident and shoot the ball no matter what I’m shooting from the field. I do not care. I’m going to shoot, shoot, shoot, and that’s what I do.”
That’s the mentality
Spoelstra wants Herro to have, especially from behind the three-point line as opposing defenses continue to try to keep him out of the paint. Herro is shooting 37.6 percent on a career-high 8.1 three-point attempts per game this season.
“If I have any complaints, it’s not about the percentages of what he’s shooting from three. I’d like him to shoot three or four more,” Spoelstra said. “I think he got 10 up [Monday], but I think he had windows to get three or four more. He’s a brilliantly accurate shooter. If he can find different ways off the ball to come off screens, off handoffs, behind the screen. I think everybody is scheming him so hard to keep him out of the paint and limit his play-making that that can be the great equalizer and not everybody has that weapon that he has.
“When he shoots open threes, the whole team and the head coach wants him to take those opportunities.”
WHERE’S THE D?
The Heat’s defense wasn’t bad in Monday’s win against the Jazz, but the unit has been below average since the All-Star break.
The Heat entered the All-Star break with the NBA’s fifth-ranked defensive rating (allowing 111.2 points per 100 possessions). In 11 games since the break, the Heat has the league’s 22nd-ranked defensive rating (117 points per 100 possessions).
The Heat’s half-court defense has taken a step back, entering the break ranked 11th in the NBA but ranked 19th in the 11 games since. Miami has also allowed more secondchance and transition points since the break.
“If we really want to do something and really want to make some noise, let’s keep the offense where it is and get the defense up to par,” Butler said.
INJURY REPORT
The Heat ruled out
Jamal Cain (G League),
Nikola Jovic (G League),
Orlando Robinson (G League) and Cody Zeller (broken nose) for Wednesday’s game.
Heat guard Kyle Lowry is listed as questionable with left knee soreness.
Anthony Chiang: 305-376-4991, @Anthony_Chiang
TUESDAY
Cleveland at Charlotte, late Detroit at Washington, late Denver at Toronto, late
L.A. Lakers at New Orleans, late Brooklyn at Oklahoma City, late Orlando at San Antonio, late Milwaukee at Phoenix, late
New York at Portland, late
WEDNESDAY
Memphis at Miami, 7:30
Philadelphia at Cleveland, 7:30 Sacramento at Chicago, 8
L.A. Lakers at Houston, 8
Boston at Minnesota, 8
Dallas at San Antonio, 8:30 Golden State at L.A. Clippers, 10
THURSDAY
Denver at Detroit, 7
Oklahoma City at Toronto, 7:30 Sacramento at Brooklyn, 7:30 Indiana at Milwaukee, 8
Orlando at Phoenix, 10
MONDAY
Miami 119, Utah 115
Detroit 117, Indiana 97 Minnesota 136, Atlanta 115 Memphis 104, Dallas 88
Houston 111, Boston 109
Golden State 123, Phoenix 112 Milwaukee 133, Sacramento 124
Utah Min FG-A FT-A R A F Pt Markkanen 37 14-26 4-6 8 1 1 38 Olynyk 24 1-3 0-0 574 3 Kessler 30 3-4 1-2 9 1 3 7 Agbaji 29 6-11 1-2 4 1 3 14 H-Tucker 27 3-13 2-2 6 8 1 9 Dunn 21 3-5 3-4 684 9 Fontecchio 30 8-17 2-2 5 1 3 23 Gay 15 3-6 0-0 1 2 1 8 D.Jones 13 0-0 0-0 2 0 2 0 Juzang 3 0-3 0-0 100 0 T-Anderson 11 2-2 0-0 1 2 3 4
Totals 240 43-90 13-18 48 31 25 115
Percentages: FG .478, FT .722. 3-Point Goals: 16-38, .421 (Markkanen 6-12, Fontecchio 5-11, Gay 2-2, Horton-Tucker 1-3, Olynyk 1-3, Agbaji 1-5, Juzang 0-2). Team Rebounds: 7. Team Turnovers: 18.
Blocked Shots: 4 (Gay, Kessler, Markkanen, Olynyk). Turnovers: 18 (Horton-Tucker 6, Fontecchio 3, Agbaji 2, Dunn 2, Markkanen 2, Olynyk 2, Toscano-Anderson). Steals: 7 (Markkanen 3, Agbaji, Fontecchio, Gay, Horton-Tucker).
Miami Min FG-A FT-A R A F Pt Ji.Butler 31 5-14 13-15 8 4 1 24 Love 21 4-8 1-2 3 0 0 11 Adebayo 37 5-10 6-8 9 3 2 16 Herro 38 5-16 6-6 6 2 1 18 Vincent 27 6-9 2-2 332 18 Lowry 19 3-6 1-1 1 4 1 9 Ca.Martin 27 4-7 2-2 212 10 Oladipo 21 4-5 0-0 121 11 Strus 7 0-2 0-0 0 1 1 0 Yurtseven 11 1-2 0-0 4 0 2 2
Totals 240 37-79 31-36 37 20 13 119
Percentages: FG .468, FT .861. 3-Point Goals: 14-34, .412 (Vincent 4-6, Oladipo 3-4, Lowry 2-4, Love 2-5, Herro 2-10, Ji.Butler 1-2, Ca.Martin 0-1, Strus 0-2). Team Rebounds: 7. Team Turnovers: 13.
Blocked Shots: 4 (Ji.Butler 2, Adebayo, Ca.Martin). Turnovers: 13 (Adebayo 3, Herro 2, Ca.Martin 2, Oladipo 2, Ji.Butler, Love, Lowry, Vincent). Steals: 12 (Ji.Butler 4, Vincent 3, Ca.Martin 2, Adebayo, Herro, Strus).