The Miami Heat will take the court once again on Friday after a healthy dose of rest thanks to the All-Star break. It looks like both Tyler Herro and newly acquired forward Kevin Love will be good to go for Friday’s matchup.
Kevin Love says he’s ready to go tomorrow.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) February 23, 2023
Tyler Herro (knee) said he'll play Friday.
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) February 23, 2023
Unfortunately, some other key contributors will not be able to suit up for Friday’s game.
#MIAvsMIL INJURY UPDATE: Omer Yurtseven (ankle), Nikola Jovic (back) and Kyle Lowry (knee) have all been ruled out of tomorrow night’s game vs the Bucks.
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) February 23, 2023
The Heat are definitely going to need all of the help that they can get in Friday’s game. That’s because they’ll be facing off against the No. 2 seed Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks look like championship contenders once again and have arguably been the best team in the league over the last month. They’re on a 12-game winning streak.
On the flip side, a win by the Heat would surely be a nice momentum boost for the team. The Heat are definitely in the playoff conversation in the East and currently sit just a half-game back from the No. 6 seed.
When it comes to Herro, he’s been in and out of the Heat’s lineup at certain points this season due to injury issues. However, he’s played in many more games than he’s missed.
He was absent for the final two Heat games prior to the All-Star break with a knee injury, but it looks like the time off allowed him to get back into playing shape.
As for Love, he should be quite fresh after missing nearly the last month of league play. He had fallen out of the rotation with the Cleveland Cavaliers, so he had plenty of time off his feet.
It will be interesting to see if there is any rust that Love needs to shake off before he can contribute to the best of his abilities on the court.
On the season, Love has played in 41 games and averaged 8.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. His shooting splits are down this season compared to his career marks. He’s hitting just 38.9 percent of his shots for the field and 35.4 percent of his 3-pointers.
Hopefully, his accuracy will improve with his recent change of scenery.
The Heat have an opportunity ahead to really position themselves for a nice playoff run, but they’re going to have to start winning at a pretty consistent clip. Herro and Love being in the lineup on Friday and beyond is definitely a positive part of that equation.
