Tyler Herro scores 26 as Heat muscle up on host Thunder
FILE – Kyle Lowry #7, Tyler Herro #14 and Duncan Robinson #55 of the Miami Heat look on. Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images/AFP
Tyler Herro scored 26 points to lead the Miami Heat to a 103-90 win over the host Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night.
Herro and Duncan Robinson, who scored 21, each hit five 3-pointers as the Heat won for the second consecutive game to salvage a 2-3 road trip. The Thunder lost for the second consecutive night.
Kyle Lowry added 11 points and 11 assists for Miami while Max Strus added 13 points off the bench.
The Heat were plenty short-handed, with Bam Adebayo missing the game with a left knee bruise, Jimmy Butler out for the third consecutive game with a right ankle sprain and Markieff Morris out for the fourth consecutive game with whiplash.
Shooting beyond the arc was huge tonight 👌
We scored 18 3s, our second-highest total this season so far. pic.twitter.com/VnWHiOTaDp
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) November 16, 2021
Luguentz Dort got off to a hot start yet again for the Thunder, scoring Oklahoma City’s first eight points and 10 in the first quarter.
Dort hit a pair of 3-pointers in the opening minutes, setting the tone for the 3-point shooting on both sides as the teams scored 54 of their combined 86 first-half points via the 3-pointer while shooting just 11 of 42 (26.2%) from inside the arc.
But Herro kept the Heat close early, hitting three first-quarter 3-pointers.
With the game being played mostly on the perimeter, Herro and Robinson took control in the third quarter after the game was tied at halftime.
Robinson hit a trio of 3-pointers and Herro hit three free throws in a 14-5 run over the first three minutes of the second half and the Thunder never seriously threatened the lead the rest of the way.
Miami turned the Thunder’s five third-quarter turnovers into 10 points.
The Heat scored 31 points on Oklahoma City’s 20 turnovers.
Miami used a zone defense for long stretches, making things difficult for the Thunder on the offensive end.
Dort scored 20 points, hitting the mark for the fourth consecutive game. He sank four of Oklahoma City’s 15 3-pointers.
The Thunder had season highs in assists (26) and blocks (10). Jeremiah Robinson-Earl scored 16 points, and Darius Bazley had a career-high five blocks.
The Heat had 18 3-pointers, with all five starters hitting at least one from behind the arc.
