Tyler Herro is close to returning to the Miami Heat.
The only question is whether Herro will be on the court Tuesday night or if he will wait at least one more game to rejoin the action.
The Heat will go for back-to-back wins when they tip off against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis. Miami is coming off a 125-106 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, which marked the Heat’s fifth win in the past six games.
All of that success has come without Herro on the court. He has not played since Dec. 9 because of a right big toe injury.
Miami listed Herro as questionable for Tuesday against the Timberwolves, signaling that his return could be imminent. The 25-year-old has averaged 23.2 points on 50.5% shooting but has appeared in only six games this season.
“We need Tyler,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It will be a little bit of a process working him back into the mix. But to get where we need to go, we need Tyler’s skill and talent. …
“That’s what we’re working on right now. We can be very dangerous when we get guys on the same page, committing to our identity. And Tyler’s a big part of that.”
Miami will face a Timberwolves squad that has won back-to-back games. That includes a 125-115 win over the Heat on Saturday evening in Miami.
Now, Minnesota will go for its second win over the Heat in a four-day span.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch is hoping to see another performance that is high effort and high energy. He said that was the key to the team’s win against the Heat over the weekend.
“(They) play a style of play that’s really hard to guard,” Finch said about Miami. “I thought our gameplan and discipline in the beginning of the game set the tone for us. You can tell when that happens how mentally we’re ready to play and locked in and focused.”
Norman Powell leads Miami in scoring with 24.4 points per game. Herro is next on the scoring list in limited action, and Bam Adebayo ranks third with 17.3 points per game.
Powell’s hot start has led to speculation that he might earn an All-Star selection.
“The goal is to go out there and win and showcase all my hard work,” Powell said. “And leave it up to the fans, the coaches that make those decisions.”
The Heat’s top rebounder is Kel’el Ware, who is averaging 10.6 boards to go along with 12.4 points.
For Minnesota, Anthony Edwards leads the way with 29.4 points per game. He is shooting 50.6% from the field and 40% from 3-point range.
Julius Randle averages 22.3 points per game. Jaden McDaniels rounds out the Timberwolves’ top three scorers with 14.4 points per game.
Minnesota guard Terrence Shannon Jr. has been ruled out for Tuesday’s game because of left foot and adductor injuries. Shannon averages 4.5 points in 22 games off the bench this season.
This is the second and final meeting between the teams this season.
