When the Miami Heat started this past six-game road trip, they used it as an opportunity to get away from the “chaos” as Tyler Herro said, referring to the outside noise amidst the drama between the front office and Jimmy Butler. While the Heat don't want to throw away the season because of events not in their control, head coach Erik Spoelstra would speak on the recent road trip and what they learned.

Miami would lose two straight in Los Angeles, both to the Clippers and then on Wednesday night to the Lakers, but they would finish the road trip at 3-3 which could be positive for some since they were missing Butler. Spoelstra would say after the loss that the team has “made a lot of strides” throughout the six contests according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

“I can step back, I can see that we made a lot of strides,” Spoelstra said. “Guys have stepped up and played well over the course of this road trip. We had an opportunity to have a winning record and we just couldn’t get it done tonight. But we’ll get out of here, get ready for an important game on Friday at home.”

Heat's Erik Spoelstra speaks on how turnovers made the difference 

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) moves the ball against Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena.
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Looking at the game specifically, Miami would lead Los Angeles by double-digits at halftime as some were getting deja vu when the Heat beat the Lakers at home by a whopping 41 points back in early December. However, the offensive production went off a cliff in the second half as the amount of turnovers made the difference.

The team would finish with 20 turnovers compared to Los Angeles' six, but more importantly, they would concede 23 points off those mistakes which was ultimately a backbreaker for them. Spoelstra would echo the same sentiments in his post-game press conference saying it was the “difference” and even expected the game to be more low-scoring.

“I think some of these were our doing, and it was costly,” Spoelstra said of the turnovers. “This was going to be a possession game. That was really the difference. This game should have been in the low 100s for both teams. But they got some easy ones off these turnovers and that got them in a little bit more of a rhythm to be able to be more efficient against our zone.”

Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo led the Heat in road trip without Jimmy Butler

If there was a bright side to the loss, it was once again another impressive outing for the Heat's All-Star hopeful in Tyler Herro who finished with 34 points, his third straight game scoring at least 30, shooting 12 of 18 from the field. He would hit on seven three-pointers out of 12 attempts while also recording four rebounds, and three assists, though he had seven turnovers of his own.

“We just got to learn ways to win, including myself,” Herro said.

“Just trying to take what the defense gives me,’ Herro said on his offensive production in the last three games and this season. “Open shots, they overreact to different things and just take advantage of what they give me.”

The defeat to the Lakers also marked the first game back by Heat center Bam Adebayo as he missed the Clippers game because of a lower back contusion. He suffered the injury in the win over the Portland Trail Blazers last Saturday after a bad fall right on the back which made him inactive for the first time this season.

“A lot of treatment,” Adebayo said of what helped him return from a one-game absence.

He would finish with 10 points on three of seven shooting to go with four rebounds and five assists in what was another off-game offensively for the Heat's captain.

At any rate, Miami is now 20-19 which puts them ninth in the Eastern Conference as they come back home to host the Denver Nuggets. It marks the first contest back for Butler off his seven-game suspension, but it remains to be seen the pathway the team will go for the star in terms of game availability.