Tyler Herro almost turned the ball over. Instead, he turned it into a spectacular pass.
Herro hit Caleb Martin with a behind-the-back pass for a wide-open shot (later ruled a two-pointer) after appearing to lose control of his dribble. The 24-year-old guard has been carrying Miami in Jimmy Butler’s absence, nearly registering a triple-double through three quarters with 21 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
ESPN’s Ryan Ruocco said it was a game where the Heat “needed Herro to be great,” and he delivered, setting up teammates and nailing tough shots even in the face of excellent defense.
In a game where the Heat took command with a 19-0 run in the first quarter, Miami may have iced it with a 14-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters. The last basket in the run came off a Herro pass, of course.
The Heat beat the Bulls to clinch the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. Miami clobbered Chicago, 112-91, and Herro was clearly the team’s best player.
Miami will advance and face the Boston Celtics in a rematch of last year’s conference finals. They don’t have Butler for now, but unlike last year, the Heat will have Herro.