Miami Heat star Tyler Herro, along with Kevin Love, will be out for Saturday's contest against the Utah Jazz per a team spokesperson telling ClutchPoints, marking the fourth straight missed game for the guard. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke before the Jazz matchup to provide an update on Herro's progress and answers if he is looking big picture and saving him for later down the line.
Herro was dealing with a few issues where it was a hyperextended knee, but that has recently cleared up, making a nagging foot injury the reason for his absence.
The University of Kentucky product has been an integral piece for the Heat offense as he missed the majority of last season's miraculous playoff run so the concern was brought up if they are keeping him on ice. Spoelstra said that “we're not saving anybody for the playoffs” as there is a “lot of work to do to make sure we get in.”
“It's managing where he is right now and once it feels right and gets past the protocols, he'll play,” Spoelstra said. “No, we're not saving anybody for the playoffs. We got a lot of work to do to make sure we get in.”
Spoelstra talks about protecting their home floor
The Heat have been away from the Kaseya Center for what feels like an eternity as after the loss to the Boston Celtics at home on Feb. 11, they had two more games on the road that bled into the All-Star break. After, they would be on a four-game road trip which now leads into early March.
In that time, the Heat were electric only losing one game in the road trip which was last Thursday against the Denver Nuggets. The goal now is to protect home court as their 15-13 record has been mediocre compared to previous years.
“It feels good to be home,” Spoelstra said. “was a good road trip, but we also know that we have to do some work, you know, to be able to protect our home court better than we have.”
Spoelstra gives assessment on Utah
Miami has a chance to rack up some victories at home as they have two winnable games inside the Kaseya Center on deck with the Jazz Saturday and the Detroit Pistons next Tuesday. Spoelstra said to ClutchPoints that Utah head coach Will Hardy has done a “sharp job” with their team.
“They're unique, the way they play. They play fast. They play a little bit position-less last they started out really big, but they do some creative things. I think Will has done a really sharp job, just maximizing its roster and doing it in in very subtle, unconventional ways,” Spoelstra said. “So if you don't have like a practice to prepare for them, and so that's a little bit different. And then they really compete, they're still in in the hunt. I know that they're fighting for for their playoff opportunity right now and all of our games with them the last year and a half since Will has been there, it's been they've been really competitive games.”
The Heat are 33-26 on the season which puts them eighth in the Eastern Conference when they were just fifth before their last loss. Showing how tightly packed the conference is, every game matters at this point.
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