Tyler Herro returns for Heat in Cleveland. And Kendrick Nunn’s lack of ‘conscience’ key
The Miami Heat is getting closer to full strength.
The Heat has Tyler Herro and James Johnson back in the lineup Thursday against the Cleveland Cavaliers after both missed Miami’s 117-108 win against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Herro sat out with a right ankle sprain against the Pistons, while Johnson was recovering from an illness.
Johnson was listed as probable on the injury report prior to tipoff in Cleveland and Herro was listed as questionable, along with fellow guard Goran Dragic. All three are back on the court to face the Cavaliers.
The returns of Herro and Johnson brings the Heat back up to 12 healthy players after it played Tuesday in Miami with only 10 bodies. Forwards Justise Winslow, Derrick Jones Jr. and KZ Okpala all did not travel with the Heat to Ohio on Wednesday, and wing Dion Waiters is still in the midst of a 10-game suspension. Point guard Daryl Macon, who is on a two-way contract and joined Miami ahead of the Detroit game, is still with the Heat on Thursday.
Winslow remains in concussion protocol, while Jones is dealing with a left hip strain and Okpala is battling a right Achilles strain. Winslow, who has started all five games he has played in this year, hasn’t played since Nov. 5 when he collided with Denver Nuggets post player Paul Millsap in a loss in Denver. Winslow finished the game, but didn’t suit up last Thursday against the Phoenix Suns and hasn’t played since.
Jones, who began the season in Miami’s rotation, hasn’t played since the game in Phoenix and has only played in four games this year. Okpala hasn’t played yet this month.
The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are close to full strength. Guards Matthew Dellavedova and Kevin Porter Jr. were cleared to play after being deemed questionable earlier in the day.
Shooting slumps don’t worry Kendrick Nunn
A rash of injuries in the backcourt have given the Heat no choice but to leave Kendrick Nunn with a long leash this year. On the offensive end, any sort of trouble he runs into doesn’t concern coach Erik Spoelstra or Nunn himself.
“I don’t really have a conscience on the offensive end,” Nunn said. “A missed shot — if I take another one, I’ll believe I’ll make the next one.”
Miami’s faith was rewarded in the second half against the Pistons on Tuesday.
Nunn spent the first half against Detroit still locked in the slump which had consumed most of the Heat’s prior three-game road trip. He opened just 2 of 11 against the Pistons before catching fire in the fourth quarter and finishing with 20 points on 6-of-16 shooting. He went 4 of 8 from three-point range, dished out five assists and grabbed two steals.
Although he’s nominally a point guard, Nunn thrived playing off the ball with star wing Jimmy Butler as the primary ballhandler.
“We really needed it from the standpoint that they went to the zone and Jimmy was making some plays in the paint, and Kendrick found some open spots and was a recipient of Jimmy’s assists, but I like the fact he was able to stay with it,” Spoelstra said. “In the first half, he wasn’t playing great basketball and was probably a little bit frustrated because he wanted to help the team. His heart is in the right place, for sure. For him to gather himself in the second half and have that kind of contribution is a little bit unique for a younger player to get past that, and figure out a different way to help the team.”
The 20-point game was Nunn’s first of November after he had three such games in the five games of October. Nunn was shooting juts 34.1 percent and averaging 9.3 points per game in the four games prior to Tuesday after he shot 51.8 percent and averaged 22.4 points in the first five games of the season.
This story was originally published November 14, 2019 at 2:00 PM.
