Miami, FL — Guard Tyler Herro came back from a nine-week injury layoff with 24 points, including the go-ahead floater with 48 seconds remaining, as the Miami Heat slipped past the Dallas Mavericks 106-102 on Monday night at Kaseya Center.
The Heat (11-6) have now won five straight games and eight of their last 10. Herro, sidelined since early November, missed his first four shots before connecting on 12 of his final 14. “It was a long nine, ten weeks,” he told reporters, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “Just being out there competing again felt great.”
Coach Erik Spoelstra noted that Herro’s touch “will only get better” in the team’s retooled, fast-paced offense designed with consultant Noah LaRoche. Miami needed every bit of Herro’s production after Dallas erased a 13-point deficit behind 27 points from P.J. Washington. Bam Adebayo intercepted a lazy inbound pass to set up Herro’s game-winner, a play Herro credited to Adebayo’s “hell of a steal.”
Miami played without Norman Powell (groin) and was on the second night of a back-to-back, yet held on with late free throws to close out the Mavericks.
Knicks clamp down
After surrendering 123 points per game while dropping three of five, the New York Knicks limited the Brooklyn Nets to 100 in Monday’s victory at Madison Square Garden. Coach Mike Brown shuffled the lineup, inserting Miles McBride and Josh Hart. Hart earned the club’s in-house Defensive Player of the Game honor, reported The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III.
Brown praised Hart for calling out the team’s defensive shortcomings after Saturday’s loss and then backing up his words on the floor. Forward OG Anunoby remained out with a hamstring strain.
Thunder set up for sustained run
The NBA’s new second-apron penalties are not expected to break up the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, according to a salary-cap review by Keith Smith of Spotrac. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s super-max contract does not begin until 2027-28, while Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren will start on the smallest version of the max next season.
Several rotation players are on declining or otherwise team-friendly deals, and the Thunder can tweak 2026-27 numbers for Isaiah Hartenstein or Luguentz Dort if needed. Even if Oklahoma City eventually moves a veteran piece, prospects such as Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber are waiting in the pipeline. The club could control as many as four first-round selections in the 2026 draft.
For now, the roster and the salary sheet suggest the Thunder are positioned to stay together well beyond this season.
Source: Hoops Wire
