Tyler Herro is available for the Miami Heat’s play-in game against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night, giving Miami a key scorer back as it tries to stay alive for the No. 8 seed in the East. The game is set for 7:30 p.m. EST and will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.
Herro has played in 33 games this season and averaged 20.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists, but his year has been interrupted repeatedly. He missed the first 17 games after left ankle surgery to alleviate posterior impingement syndrome, then sat out 13 of the next 14 after a toe injury five games into his campaign. Five games after returning from that, he was sidelined for 15 straight games with a rib contusion, and he also had a sore right foot on April 10.
The Heat listed Simone Fontecchio as available despite a sore left ankle and Andrew Wiggins as available despite left big toe sesamoiditis. Pelle Larsson was questionable with a lower right leg contusion, while Nikola Jovic and Dru Smith were unable to suit up. Miami and Charlotte entered the night with the winner advancing to face either the Philadelphia 76ers or Orlando Magic for the East’s No. 8 seed.
That puts the Heat in a familiar spot against a team that has already given them trouble. Miami won the season series 3-1, but its first three victories came by an average of 17.7 points before the Hornets answered with a 30-point win on March 17. Charlotte has been one of the better teams in the league since Jan. 1, going 33-16 and winning six of its last 10 regular-season games, while Miami closed the regular season 6-10 but did win its final two games.
The matchup leaves little margin for error. Miami’s health is better than it has been for much of the season, but the Hornets have already shown they can blow up the script, and the winner will have to turn around quickly for another game with a postseason place on the line.
