Tyler Herro OUT for Heat in Eastern Conference Finals Game 5

The NBA’s premier off-the-bench spark plug will NOT return to the hardwood tonight.

Miami Heat shooting guard Tyler Herro will reportedly miss Wednesday night’s Game 5 action of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics. Herro sat out Game 4 due to a left groin strain and had been listed as questionable ever since. The 22-year-old Sixth Man of the Year award winner will sit out a pivotal Game 5.

Herro initially suffered his injury in the fourth quarter of Miami’s 109-103 Game 3 victory.

Tipoff between the Heat and Celtics is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EST in Miami on ESPN. The series is tied 2-2.

Sources: Miami’s Tyler Herro will miss Game 5 tonight vs. Boston.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 25, 2022

Herro had a special third year in the NBA this past season. He jumped his scoring average from 15.1 points per game in 2020-21 to 20.7 in 2021-22. The former Kentucky Wildcat also averaged 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per contest while shooting 44.7 percent from the field, 39.9 percent from distance, and 86.8 percent from the free-throw line.

Unfortunately, his spectacular regular-season play hasn’t followed him into the playoffs.

Herro is averaging just 13.5 points per game for Miami across his 14 appearances while shooting 23.2 percent from beyond the arc. He’s posted just two games of 20-plus points and is being held to a low overall shooting percentage of 39 percent by Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals.

According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, this type of injury would typically keep Herro out for two to four weeks if this were the regular season. There was some talk Herro might return early for Game 5, but it would appear that the franchise is playing it safe.