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Posted on: June 7, 2023, 09:39h.
Last updated on: June 7, 2023, 10:14h.
Miami Heat shooting guard Tyler Herro won’t suit up for Game 3 of the NBA Finals because of a hand injury that occurred in the first game of the playoffs.
Herro fractured his right hand in Game 1 of the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks. He underwent surgery in April and he’s close to returning.
Tyler has not been cleared yet, so that’s where we are,” said Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra. “But we’re encouraged by the work that he has been doing.”
Even though the Heat lost Herro and backup guard Victor Oladipo to a brutal knee injury, the #8 squad upset the #1 Bucks. That opening-round ambush set the tone for the rest of the postseason. The short-handed Heat were an underdog in every single round, and their opponents and the betting market underestimated their abilities. They became only the second #8 seed from the Eastern Conference to reach the NBA Finals.
The Heat dropped Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets in the thin air of Colorado. They adjusted to the altitude and stole a victory in Game 2 to even the series at 1-1. The NBA Finals shifts to Miami for the next two games, and the Heat will play at least one more game without Herro.
Herro Timetable Unknown
Herro averaged 20.1 points,5.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game in the regular season. He connected on 37.8% of his 3-point attempts and averaged a career-high eight, 3-point shots per game this season while knocking down three treys per game.
I don’t want to be Nostradamus right now,” Spoelstra told reporters on Tuesday. “We’re taking it one day at a time. I know that sounds like a cliche. He did practice with the group. He is going to do a full-contact workout after this. We’ll evaluate that. We’ll meet with the training staff and we’ll just continue this process.”
Max Strus took over as the starter at shooting guard in Herro’s absence. Strus averages 10.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game in the postseason. He’s shooting 33.6% from 3-point range and 42.2% from the floor.
Herro provided the Heat with steady scoring in the regular season, but he’s a defensive liability. Spoelstra hides his players’ weaknesses with different schemes and adjustments, so he’d probably find a way to maximize Herro’s court time without giving up too much on the defensive end.
The Heat’s zone defense has been a nightmare for opponents this postseason. Nuggets center Nikola Jokic busted the zone in Game 1. The Heat defended Jokic differently in Game 2, forcing him to take on the role of a high-volume scorer while being less of a playmaker.
Jokic dropped 41 in a tough loss in Game 2. When Jokic scores 40-plus points, the Nuggets are 0-2 this postseason. Their offense reaches maximum efficiency when they spread the ball around and Jokic reaches double digits in assists. The Nuggets are 8-2 in games when Jokic dishes 10 or more assists.
NBA Finals Betting: Game 3
The Heat opened Game 3 as a +2 home underdog. The line has since moved to +2.5 after a steady flow of money backed the Nuggets.
Before the 2023 NBA Finals tipped off, the top-seeded Nuggets were the consensus favorite at -480 odds to win the series and championship, according to BetMGM. The Heat were installed as an underdog once again and were +330 odds to win the championship.
After the Nuggets won Game 1 in Denver, their odds narrowed to -800 as a huge favorite to win the series. The Heat were +550 odds to rally back and win the championship after falling behind 0-1.
The Nuggets lost Game 2, and their championship odds slipped to -270. The Heat saw their odds trend in the other direction after they evened the series at 1-1. They jumped to +220 to win the series and title.
DraftKings spread an “exact result” prop bet to predict the outcome of the NBA Finals.
The Nuggets are +225 odds to win the championship in seven games, or with a 4-3 series score. The Nuggets are +295 odds to win the title in six games, or with a 4-2 series score. If you think the Nuggets can win three games in a row and lock up a championship in five games, a 4-1 series score pays +320 odds.
The Heat are +500 odds to win the title in six games, or with a 4-2 series final tally. The Heat are +800 odds to win a championship in seven games, or with a 4-3 series score. If you think the Heat will win three games in a row, and upset the Nuggets in five games with a 4-1 series score, that prop bet pays +1700.
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