Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro scored 21 points in the third quarter of a win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday in Miami. Photo by Rhona Wise/EPA-EFE
Tyler Herro calmly palmed passes, blinked at the rim and flicked his fingertips, effortlessly slipping in shots for 31 points to lead the Miami Heat to a 134-93 thrashing of the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday in Miami.
Herro made 9 of the Heat’s franchise-record-tying 24 3-pointers. He sank seven of those deep shots — consecutively — in the third quarter. Advertisement
“I just kept shooting,” Herro said at his postgame news conference. “I trusted my shot and trusted the work.”
The Lakers made just 5 of 22 3-point attempts. LeBron James, who is now winless in his last six games against the Heat, also suffered his eighth loss in 10 regular-season games in Miami since leaving the franchise for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014. He scored 29 points in the loss.
The Heat dished out a franchise-record 42 assists, compared to 29 for their foes. Center Bam Adebayo logged 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Forward Jimmy Butler chipped in 17 points in the victory. Advertisement
“Guys are trying to make the game easier for each other,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “That’s probably the biggest thing.”
James dominated with physicality early on, slicing through the paint for the Lakers’ first six points. Herro and the Heat answered with a 20-3 run and never looked back.
They carried a 34-26 lead into the second quarter and used a 11-5 run to stretch their advantage. They outscored the Lakers 35-26 in the quarter to carry a 69-52 into into halftime.
Herro then went ballistic in the third quarter, nearly ripping the net off the rim with his scoring outburst.
The Heat outscored the Lakers 36-20 in the quarter to carry a 105-72 lead into the fourth. They held a 29-21 scoring edge over the final 12 minutes to finish off their lopsided victory.
The Heat (10-10), who snapped a two-game skid, will host the Phoenix Suns (12-8) at 8 p.m. EST Saturday in Miami.
The Lakers (12-10), who lost for the sixth time in eight games, will take on the Atlanta Hawks (12-11) at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Atlanta. Advertisement
“There is not a sense that we are together right now,” Lakers coach J.J. Redick said. “That’s what we say in the huddle. It doesn’t feel that way.”
