"He is a killer down the stretch"-Erik Spoelstra raves about Tyler Herro after a massive fourth quarter to seal the game for the Heat
Tyler Herro played clutch tonight in helping the Miami Heat rally to beat the Detroit Pistons 112-100. The reigning Sixth Man of the Man Year winner dropped 10 of his 19 points in the last three minutes for Miami's come-from-behind victory.
After the game, Erik Spoelstra had this to say about his explosive shooting guard:
"I'm just gonna write fourth quarter on every notepad to Tyler and every other quarter because he has that clutch gene. It doesn't matter what's happening during the course of the game.
"He's a killer down the stretch. He loves those moments, he lives for those moments. He'll knock some really tough shots during those moments."
"He has that clutch gene."
Erik Spoelstra on Tyler Herro after the Heat win tonight. https://t.co/yiuO2zX2Me
The 16-56 Detroit Pistons were playing for nothing, except for their pride tonight. They had a 81-70 lead entering the fourth quarter after blitzing the Miami Heat 34-22 in the third period.
Detroit managed to keep Miami at bay until midway through the fourth quarter when the Heat's poise, Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro came through. The Pistons pummeled the Heat 116-96 in their meeting last Dec. 7, so they know they can beat Spoelstra’s squad.
Tyler Herro was once again a menace in that game, finishing with 34 points and six assists in 37 minutes. He couldn't lead the Heat to a victory, however.
The Miami Heat were playing the second night of a back-to-back. They badly needed a win after last night's 113-99 loss to the Chicago Bulls.
Here's Spoelstra crediting his team for their gutsy win:
"But there were a lot of contributions. Kyle, he impacts winning. He just settled everybody, kept the ball where it needed to go. He's just so active and defensively, he just made things happen."
Kyle Lowry came off the bench for the fourth straight game and made his presence felt. He played 25 minutes and finished with seven points, six rebounds and six assists. Miami was +28 during Lowry's stint on the floor.
Tyler Herro and the Miami Heat are looking to enter get an outright playoff berth
After tonight's win, the Miami Heat (39-34) are just one game behind the Brooklyn Nets (39-32) for the final guaranteed playoff spot. Miami's matchup against Brooklyn on Mar. 25 could determine who gets the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Erik Spoelstra is excited about the opportunity to get into the postseason without having to go through the grueling play-in tournament. Miami's schedule, however, isn't a walk in the park.
The Heat will play five of their last nine games on the road. Except for the Detroit Pistons, who just gave them a tough time, their opponents will be fighting for playoff spots.
We’ll take that W and head home https://t.co/4mFRaLVt07
Included in their schedule are the New York Knicks twice, the Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards. They will need to finish strong to gain outright entry into the postseason.
After losing to the Boston Celtics in last year's Eastern Conference finals, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo vowed to return. Grabbing a top-six finish will be a big boost to their lofty aspirations.
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