The Philadelphia 76ers were able to pull off a win Friday night, cutting the Miami Heat's series lead to 2-1. Despite holding Miami to just 79 points in Game 3, the Sixers still have some concerns when it comes to keeping up their defense.
Doc Rivers said that one of their major concerns for the rest of the series is Tyler Herro's offensive productivity.
ESPN writer Tim Bontemps tweeted the head coach's concern Saturday afternoon.
Doc Rivers said a big focus going forward for them will be limiting Tyler Herro’s open looks. Said they keep losing him in zone, but that they did a better job of trapping him in the second half and need to continue doing that to limit his effectiveness.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 7, 2022
If Joel Embiid is Superman, then Herro is the Sixers' Kryptonite. Named the 6th Man of the Year, Herro averaged 19 points a game in the first three games. His main talent, as noted by Rivers, is his ability to capitalize on open looks.
For the Sixers to continue to turn the series around, Herro needs to be the main priority. Philadelphia must know where he is on the court at all times to limit his availability. They did a good job Friday night at shutting down a large part of the Heat's offense, Herro included. He only managed 14 points and was two of seven from deep, his least amount of productivity of the series.
While trying to figure out a game plan to cover Herro and the rest of the Heat offense, the Sixers are also readjusting their lineup. Embiid made his masked return for Philadelphia's triumphant win Friday night, adding a different factor to the series. Before then, the team was forced to take on the Heat without its star center.
Philadelphia will attempt to tie the series with a Game 4 win Sunday night.