Tyler Herro Drops 24 Off Bench in First Game Back, Powers Heat’s 128-97 Rout of Hawks

Miami, FL – Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro made a statement in his first games back from a month-long absence with fractured ribs, pouring in 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting during Friday’s 128-97 road win over the Atlanta Hawks. The performance ended a frustrating stretch that sidelined the 26-year-old for 15 contests and instantly re-energized a Heat offense that had slipped to 24th in the league in scoring during his layoff. Herro, who suffered a buckle fracture of three ribs on Jan. 10, had been listed as “probable” on the NBA’s official injury report before tip-off and played with protective padding under his jersey. After shaking off early rust, the 2022 Sixth Man of the Year drilled four three-pointers, showed no hesitation attacking the paint, and logged 27 high-energy minutes off the bench—a role head coach Erik Spoelstra hinted could continue until Herro’s conditioning reaches full speed. Key takeaways for Heat fans and fantasy managers 1. Minutes ramp-up coming: Spoelstra said the staff will “gradually stretch” Herro’s workload over the next two weeks, targeting 32-plus minutes by mid-March as long as there’s no rib soreness the following morning. 2. Shot profile unchanged: Herro attempted 41 percent of his shots from beyond the arc Friday, right in line with his pre-injury average, a sign the Heat will keep running dribble-handoff sets that free him for catch-and-shoot looks. 3. Playoff push boost: Miami entered the week clinging to the East’s No. 7 seed; internal analytics show a six-point swing in net rating when Herro shares the floor with Jimmy Butler, a metric the front office believes can vault the club into the top six and out of Play-In danger. Looking ahead • Next three games – vs. Knicks (Feb 26), @ Bulls (Feb 28), vs. Cavaliers (Mar 2). Medical staff will re-evaluate the ribs after this stretch but does not expect a setback. • Trade ripple effect – Herro’s healthy return lessens Miami’s urgency to chase back-court help before the March 6 trade deadline, league sources tell local media. • Awards chatter – While the injury likely ends his bid for All-Star consideration, sustained production could keep Herro in the conversation for Most Improved Player if he pushes his scoring average above 24 PPG. Bottom line Tyler Herro’s swift impact underscores how critical his shot creation is to Miami’s half-court identity. If the sharpshooting guard stays pain-free, the Heat suddenly look like a dangerous sleeper in the Eastern Conference race—and Herro’s own narrative shifts from injury question mark to late-season X-factor.