How does a team lose a 19-point 3Q lead at home while shooting 53.6% from the field for the game? That was the question I had after the Biscayne Bus Breakdown, so in the last few minutes I reviewed the play-by-play of those fateful 3rd and 4th quarters and OT.
The answer is Tyler Herro, and Coach Erik Spoelstra's decision to repeatedly call his number, designating Tyler as the new go-to now that JBIII is playing by the other Bay. And why not? Tyler made his first All Star team this season. He leads the club in scoring. The answer to that question is because he is not JBIII, who Peacenik coach Steve Kerr said gave his team a "swagger", nor Steph Curry, nor Jalen Brunson, nor, nor, nor.
Herro finished the night with 22 points but on disastrous shooting, 8/24 (2/11). Brunson took one more shot. He had 31 points. Herro's 24 shots were 8 more than the next, Bam, on the team. Take away his shooting stats and the team shot an other-worldly 61.7%. At half-time he was 5/10 but in the 2H and OT he was 3/14, including a miss on the last shot of regulation, for 13 points, which includes 3 made FT's.
Every shooter goes cold, but the number of times a shooter goes cold, the duration of the cold spells, and what kind of games they go cold in determine whether he is the team's go-to. Last night was a huge game for Miami, the 3rd quarter was the time, they had their grasp on the game but could not close their fingers to seize it. Instead, they let it go splat on the floor. Big Game Hero he is not. Crunch time last night was not Tyler Time. He is good and he has a shot, but he does not have "swagger". He is not the go-to scorer that the "Heat" need.