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Posted on: April 17, 2023, 07:15h.
Last updated on: April 17, 2023, 07:15h.
Miami Heat shooting guard Tyler Herro sustained a hand injury while diving for a loose ball in their first playoff game of the postseason against the Milwaukee Bucks. He’s expected to miss four to six weeks of action.
The Heat secured the #8 seed via the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament, and they were rewarded with a first-round match up against the Bucks with the #1 seed.
Despite the hand injury in the closing minutes of the first half, Herro remained in the game. After an errant 3-point shot, it was obvious that Herro was experiencing pain in his shooting hand.
Herro did not return to the court after halftime, and the Heat ruled him out for the remainder of the game. Herro tallied 12 points on 5-for-9 from the floor prior to his injury.
After Game 1, an X-ray confirmed that Herro broke his right hand. Similar injuries take four to six weeks to heal.
Herro won the 2022 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, but was promoted to the Heat’s starting five for the majority of the 2022-23 season. He averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while shooting 37.8% from 3-point range.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra will rely on backup shooting guard Victor Oladipo to fill in for Herro for the remainder of this series. Oladipo averaged 10.7 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game in 42 games this season.
Tyler Herro broke his right hand on this play in the 2nd quarter.
He will not return. pic.twitter.com/4uAQxVcJN8
— Bally Sports Sun: HEAT (@BallyHEAT) April 16, 2023
Herro, Greek Freak Among Game 1 Injuries
The Bucks looked rusty from the jump in Game 1, while the Heat already participated in a pair of play-in games to gear up for the rough and tumble postseason.
The Heat surged ahead with a 13-point lead at halftime. Without Herro in the second, the Heat held on to steal a double-digit victory on the road in Game 1.
You can’t fully make up what Tyler has been for our team all year long,” said teammate Jimmy Butler. “But guys got to step up, including myself, including Bam and whoever Spo calls upon to do an offensive or defensive assignment, to bring some energy, to dive on the floor, or get a loose ball or rebound. It’s all hands on deck at all times more than ever.”
The Bucks played the second half without their leading scorer and NBA MVP candidate. Giannis “Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo was fouled on a shot attempt in the first quarter. He crashed to the court, which silenced the crowd at Fiserv Forum. Antetokounmpo was slow to get up from the hardwood, and he gingerly made his way to the locker room.
Antetokounmpo returned mid-way through the second quarter and tried to play through the pain. The Bucks pulled him from the game. He sat out the second half, and scored six points in 11 minutes.
“He just wasn’t moving well,” said Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer. “Didn’t look comfortable, confident. It felt like the right thing.”
Betting the Heat in the First Round
The Bucks were a huge favorite at -1200 odds to win the best-of-seven series, and the Heat were +750 underdogs.
Aferr the Bucks dropped Game 1 and the status of Antetokounmpo is still unknown, there was significant movement in the playoff series futures market. The Bucks are still the favorite, but their odds dipped significantly to -225. The Heat have a 1-0 lead and saw their odds vastly jump to +185 to win the series.
Antetokounmpo was diagnosed with a lower back contusion, but his status is unknown for Game 2, which is not until Wednesday. The line is not posted at every sportsbook, but a few spots opened the Bucks as a -6 or -7 point favorite.
The Bucks are still one of the top two betting favorites to win the 2022-23 NBA championship. You can back them at +330 odds at DraftKings, and the Celtics (+260) are the only team with better title odds.
The Bucks entered the postseason as the consensus favorite to win the Eastern Conference at +125 odds, but their conference odds slipped to +160 after falling into an 0-1 hole.
The Heat were +25000 odds to win the championship before Game 1. After their opening-game victory, their title odds jumped to +9000. Meanwhile, the Heat saw their Eastern Conference odds improve from +6000 to +3500.
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