The Heat are no stranger to the Play-in tournament. For the past two years, they have had to claw their way into the playoffs by bagging one of the final two spots. But on both occasions, they had Jimmy Butler to rely on. This year is different. Jimmy is no longer in Miami and the Heat are desperately looking for someone to step in his shoes and get them over the hump. Enter Tyler Herro!
Well, the sharpshooter has had a breakout year, averaging career highs with 23.9 points and nearly six assists. He also earned his first All-Star nod. And when his team needed him the most, Herro delivered. Last night, with the Heat facing elimination, Tyler turned into a real ‘Hero’ as he dropped 38 points in the Play-in clash against the Bulls. Thanks to his effort, the Miami team got the win and will now face the Hawks for the eighth seed on Friday.
After his dominant performance, Herro talked about the tone he wanted to set as a leader as he revealed locker room’s mood heading into the Bulls game, “Just come out in attack mode. You know we had a couple days off since the last game. We came. We really prepared the last couple days leading up to tonight. Myself, my teammates, the coaching staff, we put in a lot of work and it paid off.” The preparation was evident as Erik Spoelstra’s squad made light work of the Bulls despite playing in enemy territory.
Sure, the Butler trade still haunts the Heat as Herro admitted that the season has not gone according to plan. However, he continues to have faith in himself and his teammates, “We have a bunch of guys who come in every day you know put their hard hats on and they work. Come to work every day. You know the season hasn’t exactly been how we wanted it to but we come in, we work, we continue to get better every day. We got a lot of young guys who have a lot of promise and there’s a lot to look forward to.” With one task complete, Herro has quickly shifted focus to the next goal – Beating the Hawks.
Tyler Herro claims “job’s not done” after Bulls win as he addresses tough Hawks matchup
Although Tyler came through for his squad last night, he understands that there is still a lot of work left to do. “We got one more to go. The job’s not done, just to get into the playoffs. So, we got a long way to go.” He added. Of course, the Miami team needs to get a win on Friday if they want to book a spot in the playoffs.
Dec 21, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) drives to the basket against the Orlando Magic in the second quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Fortunately, the numbers are in their favor. The Heat are undefeated with a 3-0 record when facing elimination in the Play-in tournament. And they aim to extend that winning streak by beating the Hawks. However, Herro knows that it’s going to be a tall task, “It’s gonna take a lot. We know Atlanta dropped one yesterday in Orlando. They’re a tough team. They’re similar to these guys, they get up and down. They play fast. Just gotta come and execute the game plan, I know the coaching staff will have us ready and that’s what it’s all about.”
Yes, the Hawks will also be looking for redemption following their embarrassing loss against the Magic. So, Herro needs to take over that superstar role once again and do what Butler did in Miami for several years. Lead them to the playoffs. And who knows – They might even make it to the NBA Finals despite being the eighth seed like they did in 2023. Thoughts?
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