The Miami Heat were bullied in Game 5 of their series against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night, and all young guard Tyler Herro could do was watch from the sidelines.
Herro is dealing with an injury right now that has forced him to miss pivotal playoff games. To make matters worse, the Heat’s entire season now hangs in the balance. The team is down 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Though Herro would surely rather be out there on the court with his teammates, fellow NBA guard Patrick Beverley seems to think that the Heat star’s presence in Game 5 would not have helped all that much.
“Tyler Herro, I don’t even think he could have did anything if he played, man” he said. “I ain’t going to lie.”
It’s hard to know if Beverley is attacking Herro outright or simply reflecting on the level of dominance that viewers saw in the Game 5 matchup.
After leading at halftime and holding the Celtics to just 37 points in the first half, the Heat essentially collapsed in the third quarter. In the third frame, the Heat were outscored 32-16. By the time the fourth quarter started, the game seemed all but over.
Still, Beverley’s assessment seems a bit off. Considering the fact that the Heat’s main issue was a lack of offense, it stands to reason that Herro, who is known as an offensive spark, could have helped.
However, it cannot be ignored that Herro has had a rocky postseason. He’s averaging just 13.5 points per game in the playoffs, a far fall from his regular season average of 20.7 points per game.
Now, with Game 6 on the horizon and the Heat’s season on the line, the team will have to dig deep to try to get a win and force a Game 7. Whether or not Herro is able to play in the upcoming Game 6 remains to be seen.
