After helping lead the Miami Heat to a Game 2 victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night, guard Tyler Herro revealed what teammate Jimmy Butler texted him prior to the start of the series.
“Just before the series, J.B. (Jimmy Butler) texted me to take the team and lead these guys,” Herro said. “Just make every right play — it’s not all about scoring.”
Butler has yet to suit up for the Heat since the playoffs began thanks to an MCL sprain he suffered in the team’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in the play-in tournament.
Herro made up for his forgettable Game 1 performance — when he shot just 4-of-13 from the field and 3-of-9 from deep — in Game 2. He dropped a team-high 24 points while shooting 7-of-13 from the floor and 6-of-11 from 3-point range.
The former University of Kentucky standout was one of three players on the Heat to score 20 points or more against Boston, as Caleb Martin and Bam Adebayo accumulated 21 points apiece.
But while Herro was very productive from a scoring standpoint on Wednesday, he was also Miami’s best playmaker. The 24-year-old dished out a whopping 14 assists while committing only three turnovers.
Herro alone accounted for more than half of Miami’s assists as a team in Game 2, considering the Heat ended up with 25.
In addition to dominating on the offensive side of the ball, the guard made his presence felt on defense. He held his defensive matchups to 7-of-23 shooting from the floor along with 2-of-8 shooting from 3-point range.
Herro and the Heat have a few days to rest before the first-round series continues at the Kaseya Center on Saturday night. Miami finished the 2023-24 regular season with a 22-19 home record, which was inferior to its road record of 24-17.
The Celtics, on the other hand, thrived as a road team during the regular season, considering the team ended up with a road record of 27-14.
The Heat will have their hands full against the Celtics — who will be itching to get some revenge after their Game 2 loss — over the next two games. But if Herro continues to sustain his level of play from Game 2 on both ends, Miami has a puncher’s chance to head back to Boston for Game 5 with a 3-1 series lead.