NBA: Oladipo returns, Herro leads Heat past Rockets
Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat shoots a free-throw against the New York Knicks at FTX Arena on January 26, 2022 in Miami, Florida. Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images/AFP
Tyler Herro scored 21 of his 31 points in the second quarter, helping the host Miami Heat rally past the Houston Rockets 123-106 on Monday night.
Houston led by 13 points in the second quarter, which is when the Heat went on a 23-6 run, never trailing again.
The game marked the return of Heat guard Victor Oladipo, who played his first game since April 2021 due to his second quadriceps surgery.
A night to remember for Vic & #HEATNation. pic.twitter.com/6dnRS2SlPs
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) March 8, 2022
Oladipo, who played 15 minutes off the bench, scored 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting, including 2-for-3 on 3-pointers.
With 1:55 left in the first quarter, Oladipo made his season debut. He got a big ovation from the home fans, who roared even louder when Oladipo drew a charge on his first defensive possession of the season.
THROW IT DOWN, DIPO 🔨 pic.twitter.com/xL9s819rwu
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) March 8, 2022
The Heat also got another player back as starting point guard Kyle Lowry returned after missing four straight games due to personal reasons. He was held scoreless but had five assists in 32 minutes.
Miami also got 21 points from Jimmy Butler and 18 points and a game-high 10 rebounds from Bam Adebayo.
Meanwhile, Herro has scored at least 20 points in seven straight games as a reserve, extending his franchise record.
#6MOTYLER sparked our early comeback with a career-high 21 points in a single quarter. 👶🐐 pic.twitter.com/F75DTh5qtZ
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) March 8, 2022
Miami, which has won 12 of its past 14 games overall, improved to 23-7 at home. Houston is 7-28 on the road.
The Rockets were led by Kevin Porter Jr., who scored 22 points. Rookie Jalen Green scored 20 points, but he only had six after the first quarter.
The Rockets, who have lost 17 of their past 19 games overall, were without two of their top three starters: Christian Wood (non-COVID illness) and Eric Gordon (hamstring). In addition, Dennis Schroder, who leads Houston in assists, missed his fourth straight games due to a sprained right ankle.
Despite those issues, Houston shot 52 percent in the first quarter, including 6-for-14 on 3-pointers, and led 32-25. Green had 14 points in the quarter, making 5 of 7 shots, including 4 of 6 on 3-pointers.
In the second quarter, Oladipo, after two early misses, made his first shot in 11 months, swishing a corner 3-pointer.
Later in the quarter, Houston stretched its lead to 13 points. But the Heat rallied to go into halftime with a 62-58 advantage.
After a scoreless first quarter, Herro made 8 of 9 shots in the second quarter, including 5 of 6 on 3-pointers. As a team, Miami shot 58.3 percent in the second quarter, including 7 of 9 on 3-pointers.
Miami stretched its lead to 15 points in the third quarter, and the Heat cruised from there.
