Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Herro held out vs. Wizards due to bruised wrist; Adebayo returns
MIAMI — Guard Tyler Herro became the latest Miami Heat player to miss time this season, ruled out for Thursday night’s game against the Washington Wizards at FTX Arena, his first absence of the season, due to what the team listed as a bruised right wrist.
“It happened some point [Wednesday], either falling or hitting something,” coach Erik Spoelstra said of Wednesday night’s victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. “And his forearm and wrist are pretty locked up right now But it’s muscle related. We’ll evaluate him [Friday].”
The Heat leave Friday for a nineday, four-game trip that opens Saturday in Washington.
Otherwise, the Heat injury report offered optimism.
Center Bam Adebayo, out the previous two games due to a bruised left knee, returned to the mix. He sat out Monday night’s road victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder and then Wednesday night’s home victory over the Pelicans.
Guard Kyle Lowry, who was given Wednesday off for rest, was removed from the injury report earlier in the day and was back in the lineup.
And forward Jimmy Butler, who had missed three games with a sprained right ankle that had him on the injury report as recently as Wednesday before he returned against the Pelicans to record a triple-double, no longer is on the injury report.
Herro had started in place of both Butler and Lowry during their absences.
In addition, center Dewayne Dedmon, who started the Thunder and Pelicans games in place of Adebayo, had been listed as probable with a groin strain but was cleared to play.
Also, forward Caleb Martin, who had been listed as questionable with a sprained right ankle, also was cleared to play.
Missing a sixth consecutive game for the Heat was forward Markieff Morris, still dealing with the whiplash that resulted from his Nov. 8 fracas with Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.
Yet to play this season and still out is guard Victor Oladipo, who is recovering from May quadriceps surgery.
The Wizards, who also are completing a back-to-back set, coming off Wednesday night’s road loss to the Charlotte Hornets, opted to sit out guard Spencer Dinwiddie for rest, with Dinwiddie coming off last season’s torn ACL.
Also out for the Wizards are Davis Bertans (ankle), Thomas Bryant (knee), Rui Hachimura (personal reasons) and Cassius Winston (G League assignment).
The shot
Not one to prioritize shooting percentage over the opportunity to beat the clock at the end of a quarter, Herro twice to no avail launched long-range heaves at the ends of two periods in Wednesday night’s victory over the Pelicans.
The first one was came with 2.2 seconds remaining in the first quarter, recorded on the official play-byplay transcript as: “MISS T.Herro 45’ 3PT Floating Shot.”
The second came with seventh tenths of a second remaining in the third quarter, recorded on the official transcript as: “MISS T.Herro 30’ 3PT Pullup Shot.”
In between those two attempts came a heave that Herro wasn’t trying to convert. That one was listed as: “T.Herro 43’ 3PT FB Pullup Shot.” Only the conversion wasn’t intended as a shot, but rather as a pass to Butler, who was open under the rim in transition.
“That’s why Tyler is a shooting guard,’ cause that was a terrible pass,” Butler joked afterward.
Purely accidental, Herro admitted.
“When I threw it,” he said of the stride just across midcourt, “I thought it was a good pass at first. But then I realized, like, ‘Oh, yeah, that was too strong.’ I thought it was going to hit off the rim and go fly all over the place. But it fell in for me.
“I was surprised it went in. Obviously, I wasn’t trying for it to go in. I just threw it up as a pass. Jimmy had a layup and went in. Crazy.”
Bench assist
Although sidelined against New Orleans, Lowry still managed an assist, coaching Herro when Herro was on the bench between playing stints.
“I mean, it’s huge for me,” Herro said of the tutelage. “Because the way teams are starting to defend me is obviously different than they used to, with the pressure and blitzing and things like that. I’m still learning. I got lots to learn.
“And to have a guy like Kyle, really all the vets on the team, but a guy like Kyle right next to me, he’s able to tell me what to look for and that’s why I was able to play better in the second half.”