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Heat’s Tyler Herro claps back at injury report with seemingly sarcastic, ‘ain’t coming back no time soon’

Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
·3 min read

MIAMI — There was no need Wednesday to brace for the latest twists on the Miami Heat’s ever-evolving injury report. Without a game on Thursday, the team did not have to submit one to the NBA.

But that also did not mean it was a drama-free day from an injury perspective.

It started with a report about the Heat from The Athletic’s Shams Charania that said, “The big worry is Tyler Herro. He has not played in a while. There’s no real sense when he’ll be back and when he’ll be available. He got a PRP shot a couple weeks ago. Still no clear sense on the timeline.”

Herro then took to social media with a pointed reply.

In a seemingly sarcastic clapback, Herro posted, “I just had a great workout, but ain’t coming back no time soon.”

And the fifth-year Heat guard did have a vigorous workout Wednesday while the rest of the team was off.

But the reality remains that after taking a platelet-rich-plasma injection for the medial tendinitis in his right foot on March 15, the plan, according to a source familiar with the approach, was a week off, followed by a two-week ramp up. Such a timetable would make late next week the earliest time frame for a return.

Herro has missed the past 16 games, having last played in the Feb. 23 road victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, a game he left in the fourth quarter with a knee injury.

In addition to remaining without Herro, the Heat also were without Jimmy Butler (illness), Kevin Love (heel), Duncan Robinson (back) and Josh Richardson (shoulder) for Tuesday night’s 113-92 loss to the Golden State Warriors at Kaseya Center. Butler is expected back for Thursday’s practice ahead of Friday night’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers that closes a four-game homestand.

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Mama says

It turned out it was unspoken motivation from his mother, Marilyn Blount, that got Heat center Bam Adebayo back on his feet after taking a shoulder to the back of his neck from Golden State’s Moses Moody during Tuesday night’s loss.

Adebayo remained on the court as play continued in the second quarter, with the Heat then forced to call timeout as Adebayo slowly got to his feet and continued on.

“I had to make sure I was alright, so that’s why I stayed down,” Adebayo said afterward. “I had to make sure nothing was seriously wrong, ’cause you know you’ve seen a lot of guys get hit in the head, it could be a concussion or a neck strain.

“For me, it was just really depending on if I could get up. Obviously, you got that whisper in the back of your ear. For me, it’s my mom telling me to get up. So, shook it off and got back to the game.”

No foul was called on the play.

“I thought it should have been a flagrant foul or at least look at it,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the officiating crew. “If someone takes a shot — I know it was a smaller guard — but three guys have to see that, when somebody gets hit that hard.

“But he’s fine. He’s tough. That happened in the first half and he was really good in that second half.”

Adebayo closed with 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

Fetid finish

In Tuesday night’s loss, the Heat went 1 of 16 on 3-pointers in the second half, with the lone conversion coming from forward Nikola Jovic. Terry Rozier and Caeb Martin both were 0 for 3 on 3-pointers in that second half, when the Heat were outscored 60-37.

“I don’t think we executed with intention,” Spoelstra said. “We missed some open shots and then some of the decision making was not to our best standards. And then their defense was able to force some deflections, steals, long rebounds, blocks, that kind of thing that kind of got them going the other direction.”