Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro will miss Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics due to a groin injury suffered in Game 3, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Monday. Jimmy Butler, who missed the second half of Game 3 due to knee inflammation, will warm up with the intent to play. The same is true for Miami’s other players listed on the injury report: Kyle Lowry, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and P.J. Tucker.
Both teams have dealt with injuries and absences throughout this series. The Celtics were without Al Horford (health and safety protocols) and Marcus Smart (foot sprain) in Game 1, Derrick White (birth of his child) in Game 2 and Robert Williams III (knee) in Game 3. Smart suffered an ankle injury in Game 3, and while he returned for the end of it, but according to Celtics coach Ime Udoka, is still dealing with swelling. Williams is still day-to-day.
Herro’s absence is a significant one as he is one of Miami’s few half-court shot-creators. He scored 18 points in Miami’s Game 1 victory has but largely struggled since. His postseason has been uneven.
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He has shot just 23.2 percent from behind the arc and he struggles defensively, but with Lowry and Butler at less than 100 percent, having Herro available to help generate shots was extremely important.
Now the Heat will likely have to lean more on Victor Oladipo, who has only recently grabbed a larger rotational role after missing most of the season due to injury, and Duncan Robinson, who fell out of the rotation earlier in the playoffs, to fill in for Herro. At this stage, the Eastern Conference finals feels like as much a war of attrition as one of basketball skill.
