Herro named Sixth Man of Year

MIAMI » Tyler Herro was told before the season began that he wouldn’t be in the Miami Heat starting lineup. To his credit, he saw that as an opportunity.

“I said, ‘Let’s go for Sixth Man of the Year,’” Herro said. And that’s what he got. Herro was announced Tuesday as the NBA’s top sixth man this season, the first player to win the award as a member of the Heat. He averaged 20.7 points, nearly four more per game than any other reserve in the league, plus had a huge role in Miami securing the No. 1 seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs.

“It means a lot,” Herro said. “I accepted the sixthman role for a reason. I wanted to be the best sixth man in the league.”

Soccer LIVERPOOL SURVIVES SCARE, ADVANCES TO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL »

Liverpool rallied after an early scare to defeat Villarreal 3-2 and advance to its third Champions League final in five seasons.

Villarreal looked on its way to another stunning upset after opening a two-goal lead in the first half to offset its 2-0 first-leg loss in England, but the modest Spanish club couldn’t keep up and Liverpool came from behind to advance 5-2 on aggregate.

Liverpool will play the May 28 final in Paris against either Premier League rival Manchester City or 13-time European champion Real Madrid.

Pro football SAINTS AGREE WITH MATHIEU ON DEAL »

The New Orleans Saints and Tyrann Mathieu have agreed to a three-year, $33 million contract, reuniting the AllPro safety with his hometown team, a person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press.

The contract includes $18 million guaranteed, a sizeable investment for a safety who turns 30 next week.

The Saints drafted Tennessee’s Alontae Taylor in the second round, but he is expected to remain at cornerback.