The Miami Heat can advance to the NBA Finals if, or when, they finish off the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
They currently lead the series 3-0 and have the opportunity to sweep Boston in Game 4 on Tuesday.
If or when Miami reaches the championship series, their chances of winning it all would likely hinge on the availability of guard Tyler Herro, who has been out since he suffered a hand injury in the first round of the playoffs.
According to head coach Erik Spoelstra, via reporter Tim Bontemps, there is no timetable for his return, although he has progressed in his recovery.
Erik Spoelstra says there’s no timetable for Tyler Herro’s return, but that he has the brace off and he’s continuing his rehab.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 23, 2023
It is astounding that the Heat have gotten this far, especially without Herro.
They faced the Milwaukee Bucks, a team that won the world championship just two years ago, in the first round of the playoffs, and they were considered strong underdogs.
But they managed to knock off the Bucks, who had the league’s best record in the regular season, in five games.
Miami then got past the New York Knicks in five games in the next round despite having a much smaller frontline.
Herro is a very important member of the team, as he is their only consistent offensive threat off the dribble other than Jimmy Butler.
He averaged 20.1 points a game in the regular season after moving permanently into the starting lineup following his Sixth Man of the Year triumph last year.
The Denver Nuggets, who advanced to the NBA Finals out of the Western Conference, will be very difficult to beat, even with a healthy Herro, but the Heat have been there and done that before.
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The Heat Are One Win Away From Defying Unbelievable Odds To Reach Finals