Fiery Heat go long distance to torch Pacers

Kyle Lowry #7 of the Miami Heat handles the ball during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on December 04, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Stacy Revere/Getty Images/AFP

Tyler Herro returned from a three-game injury absence and tied for game-high honors with 26 points, leading the Miami Heat to a 125-96 win over the visiting Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.

The Heat tied a franchise record with 22 3-pointers, shooting 44.9 percent from long distance and 49.5 percent overall.

The @MiamiHeat tied their franchise-record with 22 threes behind a combined 52 PTS and 11 3PM from @raf_tyler & @D_Bo20 🔥 pic.twitter.com/8RakiD2O8Y

— NBA (@NBA) December 22, 2021

Duncan Robinson tied his season-high with 26 points for the Heat, making 10 of 16 shots from the floor and 6 of 10 from long range.

Miami’s Kyle Lowry nearly had a triple-double, finishing with a game-high 12 assists, 11 rebounds and eight points.

Herro, who had been out due to a quad contusion, made 8 of 17 shots, including 5 of 8 from beyond the arc.

Heat guard Max Strus, in his third year in the NBA, made his first career start and finished with 18 points.

Miami reserve Omer Yurtseven had a game-high 13 rebounds, also his career-high.

Indiana was led by Caris LeVert and Chris Duarte, each with 17 points.

Point guard Malcolm Brogdon, who missed Indiana’s most recent game due to a foot injury, returned but played just eight minutes. He did not return for the second half and finished with one point and two assists. He leads Indiana in both of those categories this season.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle also returned after missing four straight games due to COVID-19 protocols.

Miami shot 54.5 percent from the floor — including 7-for-12 on 3-pointers — and closed out the first quarter with a 33-21 lead. Indiana shot 6-for-12 to start the first but ended the quarter cold, making just 1-of-9.

The Heat stretched their lead to 68-45 at halftime. Miami shot 52.1 percent from the floor in the first half, including 11-for-24 on 3-pointers (45.8 percent).

Miami, which got 18 first-half points from Robinson, finished the first 24 minutes plus-eight on points in the paint and plus-nine on rebounds.

Indiana shot just 37.5 percent overall before halftime and 3-for-14 on 3-pointers (21.4 percent).

Miami led 98-69 by the end of the third quarter and cruised in the fourth.

It was such a rout that the Heat went to seldom-used reserve Udonis Haslem, who made just the sixth 3-pointer of his long NBA career.

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