Tyler Herro and the Miami Heat secured a 120-117 home preseason victory over the San Antonio Spurs Tuesday. Afterward, Herro’s postgame interview was derailed by a fight in the Kaseya Center crowd, eliciting a comical reaction from the sixth-year guard.
Playing in his second preseason outing after missing Miami’s opener due to a groin strain, Herro finished third on his squad in scoring. The 2022 Sixth Man of the Year tallied 14 points, four assists, one steal and two 3-pointers, shooting 46.2%. He did so in only 24 minutes, as all the Heat’s veterans received extended rest.
While exhibition contests are typically laidback and drama-free, that didn’t stop fans from engaging in a postgame altercation in the stands. While touching on Miami’s lineup experimentation in preparation for the regular season, Herro was distracted by the skirmish. Upon losing his train of thought, he laughed in apparent disbelief.
“I’m sorry, I’m distracted by a fight up there. This is crazy,” Herro said.
The incident ultimately concluded Tyler Herro’s postgame interview, with him continuing to laugh as he walked off the court. He and the Heat will return to action on Wednesday when they host the Atlanta Hawks for their fourth matchup of their five-game preseason schedule. Miami is 2-1 thus far.
Tyler Herro embracing off-ball role with Heat ahead of 2024-25 NBA season
Ahead of Tuesday’s preseason outing, Tyler Herro touched on his new role with Miami entering the 2024-25 NBA season.
According to Herro, he has spent more time off-ball, allowing him to improve his shooting efficiency.
“I don’t have as many ball-handling duties as I’ve had in the past,” Herro said. “Obviously, I love having the ball in my hands, but being able to flow into that is gonna be easier on me and be more efficient for my game. Just being able to play off Terry [Rozier], Jimmy [Butler] and Bam [Adebayo], and not necessarily having to be the main guard handling the ball.”
Herro has primarily been billed as a shooting guard throughout his NBA career. However, he has taken on increased playmaking duties in recent years, with the Heat lacking established playmakers.
While Herro’s shooting efficiency hasn’t suffered, perhaps he can reach another level in Year 6.
Over 42 appearances last season, he averaged 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 0.7 steals and 3.1 3-pointers per game, shooting 44.1% and 39.6% from deep.
