The Miami Heat officially released the statuses of guard Tyler Herro and forward Caleb Martin for Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets.
Herro, who is working his way back from the hand injury he suffered in the first round of the playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks, will not play in Game 2. It had previously been reported that there was a chance that the former Sixth Man of the Year could make a return for this matchup.
Martin was listed as questionable for this matchup, but he’s expected to play.
#DENvsMIA INJURY UPDATE: Caleb Martin (illness) will be available to play in tonight’s #NBAFinals Game 2 vs the Nuggets.
Tyler Herro (hand) has been ruled out.
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) June 4, 2023
While the Heat will miss Herro, the team is glad to have Martin in the lineup. Even though the forward struggled in Game 1 of the Finals (three points on 1-of-7 shooting from the field), he’s been one of Miami’s best performers in the playoffs.
Martin is averaging 13.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 30.4 minutes per game for the Heat in the playoffs. He’s also shooting 54.9 percent from the field and 44.0 percent from beyond the arc.
In the team’s last three playoff games, Martin has slid into the starting lineup, replacing Kevin Love. He provided the team with a huge scoring lift against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, scoring 21 points in Game 6 and 26 points in Game 7.
The Heat are hoping he can bounce back after a poor showing in Game 1 against Denver.
Herro, who could still return in this series, will be a massive addition for Miami whenever he can return. During the 2022-23 regular season, Herro averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from beyond the arc.
One of the team’s best scorers, Herro will have a chance to return in Game 3 when the series flips back to Miami. That matchup is scheduled for Wednesday, June 7.
The Heat have been great on the road in the playoffs, winning at least one road game in every series to this point. They’ll look to take a road game against Denver on Sunday to even the series at one game apiece.
The Nuggets won’t be easy opponents to take out though, as they are 9-0 at home in the playoffs this season.
