The Miami Heat were unable to hold off the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night, losing 119-112.
However, with the absence of guard Kendrick Nunn, the Heat turned to rookie Tyler Herro at point guard, and the results were promising.
Herro flirted with a triple-double and finished the game with 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting, to go along with 10 assists and eight rebounds. He also only committed two turnovers.
Herro mentioned that he had been working on his ball-handling once the NBA season was halted back in March.
Herro: "I felt comfortable. I have been working with the ball in my hands since we took the break."
— Five Reasons Sports 🏀🏈⚾️🏒⚽️ (@5ReasonsSports) August 9, 2020
The rookie displayed a lot of poise and was clearly Miami’s best player in this one.
Herro on the balance between scoring and playmaking: "Being a natural scorer, it's hard to balance the two. I'm sure I missed some guys open tonight. I'll watch the film and continue to learn."
— Five Reasons Sports 🏀🏈⚾️🏒⚽️ (@5ReasonsSports) August 9, 2020
With Jimmy Butler and Nunn out, it is a huge plus for Miami that Herro was able to step in as the primary ball-handler and have this much success.
Feel like something seismic happened with the Heat tonight.
"I've always had the ball in my hands, in high school, and in college some. I'm just playing a role right now. I feel I can impact the game right now in ways other than just shooting." — Tyler Herro
— Five Reasons Sports 🏀🏈⚾️🏒⚽️ (@5ReasonsSports) August 9, 2020
Miami has a huge game coming up on Monday, as it will face the Indiana Pacers, who defeated the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.
Both teams are now 43-27, and a win Monday could go a long way for Miami in its quest to lock up the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Heat will be counting on Herro to continue showcasing just how dynamic a player he can be.
