Heat Rumors: Tyler Herro ‘Pushing Really Hard’ to Play in Game 5 or 6 Despite Injury

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The Miami Heat looked downright awful without Tyler Herro during Monday’s 102-82 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and he is reportedly pushing to return for Wednesday’s Game 5 or Friday’s Game 6.

“This is an injury, this groin injury he has, that would normally keep him out 2-4 weeks if this was the regular season,” ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said on Tuesday’s episode of NBA Today. “But he is pushing really hard to play either in the next game or the game after that because he just wants to be out there.”

Herro’s absence likely didn’t make much of a difference in Monday’s game.

While he provides a spark off the bench, Miami’s starters combined for a total of 18 points. None of them finished in double figures, with P.J. Tucker and Max Strus being held scoreless as they combined to shoot 0-of-11 from the field.

Not even a heroic bench effort would have been enough to overcome that showing, as evidenced by Victor Oladipo stuffing the stat sheet with 23 points, six assists and four rebounds while Caleb Martin and Duncan Robinson each scored in double figures as well.

Still, this series is tied at two games apiece and could come down to which secondary units play better for stretches in the remaining contests.

Herro has been a significant boost for Miami’s bench in this series and averaged 12.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in the first three contests. He also scored in double figures in all six games of Miami’s second-round win over the Philadelphia 76ers, including when he exploded for 25 points in Game 1.

The Sixth Man of the Year averaged career-best numbers with 20.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per night during the regular season and gives the Heat another player who can create his own shots and generate openings for others alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.

It is difficult to match the overall star power and depth of a Boston team with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Al Horford, and having Herro available for the next few games could help the Heat do just that.