Tyler Herro upgraded to questionable, expected to be active for Miami Heat in Game 5 of NBA Finals
With his team facing elimination, it appears Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro will try to play tonight in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets.
Herro, who has been out since breaking his hand April 16 in Game 1 of the opening-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks diving for a loose ball, was not expected to play again unless the Heat made an improbable deep run in the playoffs.
It's been about eight weeks since the former Whitnall High School star had surgery to repair his right third and fourth metacarpals, but ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Herro's status is questionable and will be in uniform Monday night at Ball Arena.
Miami's Tyler Herro -- who was upgraded to questionable -- is expected to suit up for Game 5 and attempt a return tonight, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 12, 2023
"I'm worried about him, I don't expect much out of him," said ESPN's Kenrick Perkins on "NBA Today" Monday afternoon when asked about Herro's long absence. "I'm also interested to see how the others on the bench react to him (being on the floor)."
Though Miami shocked three higher-seeded Eastern Conference foes in the playoffs, including the Bucks, without Herro's 20.1 points per game, the team has averaged only 98.3 points per game in the first four games of the Finals.
Tyler Herro has averaged 20+ points in each of the last 2 seasons.
He is the youngest player in Heat history to average 20 points in consecutive seasons. https://t.co/LNPX6FGLhn— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 12, 2023
Even if Herro can provide additional punch from the perimeter, teams leading the NBA Finals 3-1 are 35-1 and 18 of those teams have closed out the series in five games.
However, the Heat have won seven games on the road in the playoffs, including Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Boston and Game 2 of the NBA Finals in Denver.
Will Herro help make it eight?
"I like idea of the Heat getting as much shooting on the floor as possible." said ESPN's Zach Lowe added on NBA Today. "It's OK to test him out ... try to maximize the offense."
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Miami Heat's Tyler Herro likely be active for Game 5 of NBA Finals
