NBA playoffs: Heat G Tyler Herro's season effectively over after hand surgery
Tyler Herro's season is over unless the Heat have an extremely good month or two ahead of them.
The former Sixth Man of the Year underwent surgery on his right to hand to repair his third and fourth metacarpals, the Heat announced Friday. The 90-minute procedure was reportedly performed by Dr. Ann Ouelette.
Herro is reportedly expected to miss a minimum of six weeks. A return in exactly six weeks from Friday would see him ready on June 2, one day after Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Herro sustained the injury in Game 1 of the Heat's first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks when he dove for a loose ball. He was in clear pain but still made a 3-pointer before running to the locker room.
Tyler Herro was in pain after an apparent hand injury pic.twitter.com/k6OUQMt5JD
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 16, 2023
Herro did not appear in the Heat's Game 2 loss, and now he won't be appearing in any more games this season barring an unlikely run to the NBA Finals and a best-case rehab scenario.
Reaching the Finals without Herro is a tall order for the Heat, who earned the eighth seed with a loss, then a win in the play-in tournament. He ranked third on the team in scoring this season with 20.1 points per game, plus 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists and 37.8% shooting from 3-point range. Herro's four-year, $130 million contract extension goes into effect next season.
The Bucks are dealing with a major injury of their own, as Giannis Antetokounmpo missed Game 2 with a back contusion. As of Friday afternoon, he is considered questionable for Game 3 on Saturday.