Tyler Herro

NBA Announces 2025 All-Star Reserves

January 30th, 2025 at 5:51pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The 2025 NBA All-Star reserves were revealed on Thursday night during TNT’s Inside the NBA broadcast and officially confirmed by the league (Twitter links).

Fourteen players will join the 10 starters announced last week in the All-Star Game in San Francisco on Feb. 16.

All-Star reserves were selected by the league’s head coaches. Here are the players who made the cut:

Eastern Conference reserves:

Guard: Cade Cunningham, Pistons
Guard: Damian Lillard, Bucks
Guard: Darius Garland, Cavaliers
Guard: Tyler Herro, Heat
Frontcourt: Jaylen Brown, Celtics
Frontcourt: Evan Mobley, Cavaliers
Frontcourt: Pascal Siakam, Pacers

The East features three first-time All-Stars in Cunningham, Herro and Mobley. The guard spots in the East were highly contentious, with Atlanta’s Trae Young, Chicago’s Zach LaVine, Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball and Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey among those also in the running. Ball finished first in fan voting, but that had no bearing on the coaches’ decisions.

The Cavaliers are well-represented in San Francisco, with Donovan Mitchell named a starter last week and Garland and Mobley now joining him. This is Garland’s second All-Star nod after being named in the 2021/22 season. Jarrett Allen also had a shot at a spot, but ultimately wasn’t voted in.

This is Jaylen Brown‘s fourth All-Star appearance, Lillard’s ninth, and Siakam’s third.

Western Conference reserves:

Guard: Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
Guard: James Harden, Clippers
Frontcourt: Anthony Davis, Lakers
Frontcourt: Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies
Frontcourt: Alperen Sengun, Rockets
Frontcourt: Jalen Williams, Thunder
Frontcourt: Victor Wembanyama, Spurs

Wembanyama, Sengun and Williams are each first-time All-Stars. The reigning Rookie of the Year, Wembanyama has taken several steps forward to help the Spurs to a 20-24 record, putting them in contention for a play-in spot. Meanwhile, Sengun and Williams are key contributors for the top two seeds in the conference.

Edwards, in his third overall and consecutive appearance, is having a career year from beyond the arc, connecting on 41.8% of his 9.8 three-point attempts. We wrote earlier today about how the Grizzlies view Jackson as a bona fide star amid their 31-16 record this season.

Veterans Harden and Davis round out the West reserves. Harden, the most decorated reserve, is making his 11th appearance in the game while averaging 21.7 points and 8.4 assists per game in his age-35 season. Davis continues to be one of the premier defensive players in the league en route to earning his 10th All-Star nod. The Lakers big man is currently injured and out at least one week, but it’s unclear if that would affect his availability for the All-Star Game, which is still more than two weeks out.

Fresh off making the NBA Finals last season, the Mavericks won’t have a representative in the All-Star Game, with Luka Doncic injured and Kyrie Irving not earning a spot. The Kings’ Domantas Sabonis, the Clippers’ Norman Powell, the Suns’ Devin Booker and the Kings’ De’Aaron Fox were among those who were not named to the team.

Heat Notes: Butler, Herro, Ware, Jovic, Robinson

January 27th, 2025 at 10:37pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Six-time All-Star Heat forward Jimmy Butler has been suspended for the third time this season by his own team. As a result of this latest suspension, he’s out indefinitely. With the NBA trade deadline less than two weeks away, however, he may be seeing on-court action soon enough — for someone else.

Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra opted to keep relatively mum on the Butler situation ahead of a 125-119 double-overtime victory Monday over Orlando, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link).

“I get it, what you guys all want right now,” Spoelstra told reporters. “And I figure that’s why this media room is full right now. We’re trying to quiet the noise and we’re just focusing on the task at hand. There is no better place to be than just the present moment.”

When asked about how the Heat’s older players were handling the Butler drama, Spoelstra expressed apathy, Winderman reports (via Twitter).

“I don’t really care,” Spoelstra said. “We’re just focusing on the task at hand.”

For their part, several Heat players opted to downplay the Butler suspension after their teammate reportedly walked out of Monday’s shootaround upon hearing he had been demoted to a bench role in favor of Haywood Highsmith, prompting his latest suspension.

Highsmith himself claimed he did not even notice Butler exit the shootaround, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). After talking with other Miami players, Jackson tweets that it was apparently not a “big scene.”

There’s more out of Miami:

Thanks to a breakout season, guard Tyler Herro seems like the 23-22 Heat’s best bet to land a player in the All-Star game next month. Writing for The Miami Herald, Jackson considers how Herro compares to the other Eastern Conference guards looking to become All-Star reserves this year, including Cleveland’s Darius Garland and Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball.
Rookie Heat center Kel’el Ware is thriving with expanded minutes and a bigger role for Miami, writes Adam Lichtenstein of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. He had averaged a scant nine minutes per night during his first two months as a pro. Ware has notched a double-double in four of his last five contests, while serving as Miami’s new starting center across the past four. Bam Adebayo has been moved to a forward role. “He’s earned these minutes,” Spoelstra said of Ware. “That’s the most important thing. He’s earned it with what he’s been doing on the court to the point where we had to find ways to get him more minutes.” Jackson notes in another piece that the rookie is already developing a strong bond with young forward Nikola Jovic on the court.
Spoelstra has been toggling Heat wing Duncan Robinson between a starting role and a bench gig this season, writes Jackson in another article. “It’s never easy,” Robinson said. “We’re all ambitious. We all want what’s best for us as a team, but then we all have our own individual careers. We want that for ourselves as well. You know stuff is going to change. You know the way Spo operates. He’s always pulling triggers, trying to find lineups that work.

Heat Notes: Butler, Highsmith, Herro, Team Meeting

January 26th, 2025 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

While the Heat played at Brooklyn on Saturday, Jimmy Butler was at the Reserve Club Miami padel tournament, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Butler was completing his two-game suspension, which was imposed Wednesday for a “continued pattern of disregard of team rules.” Sources tell Jackson that Butler is expected to rejoin the team for Monday’s home game against Orlando.

Butler was serving as captain for the third straight year for the padel tournament, which is a racket sport that originated in Mexico. He briefly addressed the crowd, calling Miami a city that “I care so dearly and so much about.”

He also talked to reporters at the event, telling them, “There’s no breaking news — I know that you’re all hoping for that. We’re just out here to have some fun, put on a show.” Asked if he believed it was his final weekend with the Heat, Butler responded, “I don’t know. But it’s going to be a fun weekend.”

Butler didn’t directly address the suspension or the team’s ongoing efforts to work out a trade, but he again professed his affection for Miami.

“I love this city with everything that I have,” Butler added. “I’m so glad that I get to be around so many incredible people, friends and family that are here. This city deserves everything.”

There’s more on the Heat:

Haywood Highsmith was back in the starting lineup Saturday after being replaced for the previous two games, Jackson adds. Highsmith missed all three of his shots and went scoreless in 21 minutes, but Jackson states that he made an impact on defense. Rookie Pelle Larsson, who started on Thursday in Milwaukee, played just five minutes off the bench. “Possibly I was overthinking things in the Milwaukee game,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “H has given us good minutes in that role. His defense, his activity, even with the fouls is what we needed.”
Spoelstra told Jackson and other reporters that it’s “not my style” to push his players for All-Star honors, but he made a case for coaches to select Tyler Herro as one of the Eastern Conference reserves. Herro is in the midst of his best season, averaging career highs with 24.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 43 games. “Opposing teams have to game-plan against him,” Spoelstra said. “You have to spend a good deal of time in shootarounds and film sessions developing some kind of specific plan for him. In January, he’s been the most trapped player on pick and rolls. That’s a sign of great respect. His off-ball movement, all of those things have really improved. I think it will happen. I do. His play has been that consistent.”
Defense was emphasized as the Heat held a team meeting Friday night, according to Jackson. He notes that going into Saturday, Miami had allowed at least 107 points in six straight games and at least 116 in four of those. “We’ve just got to hang our hats on (defense),” Terry Rozier said. “We talked about it (Friday). Next-play mentality no matter if the shot’s falling or not. Sometimes we get caught up hanging our heads and it affects the next two or three plays, and the next thing you know, we’re in the hole.”

Heat Notes: Highsmith, Butler, Adebayo, Jaquez, Herro

January 22nd, 2025 at 7:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra made a significant change to his starting lineup Tuesday night, using rookie big man Kel’el Ware alongside Bam Adebayo in a double-big frontcourt. That meant Haywood Highsmith came off the bench after starting 32 of the previous 33 games he had played, and he saw just four minutes of action in a loss to Portland.

“Just control what I can control,” Highsmith told reporters, including Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “It’s a long season. I know there are going to be ups and downs. I’m used to it, for sure.”

The 28-year-old forward has been primarily a reserve during his four seasons in Miami, but his role has expanded this season, even though his minutes aren’t always steady. Spoelstra emphasized that the team is still counting on Highsmith to contribute, even when he doesn’t start.

“I actually talked to him about it, that sometimes when things are fluid and they’re moving fast, sometimes things happen and it’s not at all an indictment or an indication of how you’re playing,” Spoelstra said. “He’s an example of that. He’s had really important minutes and his role is important for us. He just has to stay with it. We all believe in him, we all know his importance. And as we figure things out, his minutes will likely be more consistent.”

There’s more from Miami:

In light of Jimmy Butler‘s latest suspension, Shams Charania of ESPN describes the situation with the volatile forward as “untenable” (Twitter video link). He adds that Heat coaches and players view the standoff as “a distraction” and “chaos,” and some cite a lack of clarity in the organization.
Among the reasons for Butler’s first suspension was a perceived lack of effort, and Bobby Marks of ESPN offers several statistics to back that up (Twitter link). Among the highlights, Butler attempted fewer than 10 field goals in four of his last five games, and he moved at a “fast speed” – as defined by Second Spectrum – just 5% of the time in Tuesday’s game vs. Portland.
Adebayo has helped to keep the team’s younger players focused on business rather than the daily news about Butler, per Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. “They’re handling it as professionally as they should,” Adebayo said. “I’m really emphasizing to the young guys to really be professional in this league. But, like I said before, we still have to play games.”
Jaime Jaquez filled in well as Butler’s replacement in the starting lineup during his first suspension, but he was back in a reserve role once Butler returned, Winderman adds. The second-year forward has already learned how to handle such adjustments. “What I realize is that is part of the NBA,” Jaquez said. “And you’ve just got to be ready for what comes. And I think, myself, I’m starting to grow and realize just be ready for anything, not have any expectations, just go out here and be ready to hoop.”
The Heat struggled to create good scoring opportunities on Tuesday as Tyler Herro missed his first game of the season, Winderman observes in a separate story. Herro is dealing with groin soreness, but he’s listed as probable for Thursday’s game at Milwaukee.

Southeast Notes: Ball, Adebayo, Ware, Herro, Hawks

January 20th, 2025 at 7:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LaMelo Ball leads the Eastern Conference All-Star voting among guards despite the Hornets‘ poor record (11-28). However, Ball has stepped up his game, particularly on defense, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer writes.

Ball had 23 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in Charlotte’s victory over Dallas on Monday afternoon.

“His two-way play has really helped us,” coach Charles Lee said. “We’ve made an effort to play with more pace offensively. I think the whole squad has really bought into that and he’s really the head of the snake when it comes to pace, and his attack and willingness to either go finish in the attack or collapse the defense and kick out for some early opportunities.

“And then defensively, he’s denying (Kyrie) Irving at the end of the game, being more physical. I feel like in our transition defense, we are having a lot more communication and urgency to get back. So, just really impressed with his two-way game and not trying to be offensively focused.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

The pairing of Bam Adebayo and rookie Kel’el Ware gave the Heat a “dynamic” new look, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. At the end of the first half and beginning of the second half, the Heat went on a 36-13 run against San Antonio on Sunday with the two bigs playing together. “Right now, defensively that just looked like it was elite,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “So if I have to lean into this thing defensively right now for our team to get to another level, I will. That could be a path and we’ll dive into this. But that looks like a path where we can find some higher success, at least on one side of the floor.”
Tyler Herro is averaging career bests in points, rebounds and assists and the Heat wing is drawing extra defensive attention. Lakers coach JJ Redick says the Herro needs to be guarded like Stephen Curry. Adebayo said it’s a learning experience for Herro, Chiang writes. “He is the focal point of a lot of scouting reports,” he said. “So for us, it’s understanding that he’s got to play kind of like Steph. He might not get the ball, but go set a screen, go screen somebody. That’s how you get yourself open. Me and him had that conversation during the (Spurs) game. He was like, ‘Man, what am I supposed to do?’ I was like, ‘Just go screen for somebody.’ Literally if they’re face-guarding you, just go screen for somebody. Somebody is going to be open.”
The Hawks have the East’s fourth-best record in large part because they’re handling adversity better, according to Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. They have a 6-2 record against the teams above them in the conference standings. “Your hope is when you find adversity in the game, because it comes in a lot of different forms that that can bring you together and you can raise your level, as opposed to it splitting you apart,” coach Quin Snyder said.

Members Of Heat Organization Fear Jimmy Butler Situation Could Get Uglier

January 17th, 2025 at 8:17am CST by Dana Gauruder

Members of the Heat organization, including players, coaches and staffers, have grown weary of Jimmy Butler‘s feud with the front office and it’s feared that the situation could get even worse, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reports.

With his team-imposed seven-game suspension over, Butler could return to action against the Nuggets on Friday. However, there’s a sense of dread in the organization that Butler could become even more of a distraction.

One unnamed source within the organization told Shelburne, “I don’t know how he can come back to this locker room,” while another informed her, “We don’t want him back.”

Butler reiterated his demand to be traded to president of basketball operations Pat Riley during the suspension while the team was away on a six-game road trip. Butler was furious at the length of the suspension and the potential $2.35MM in lost salary, according to Shelburne, who says the possibility of a reduction waned because Butler failed to show enough contrition.

Here’s more from Shelburne’s story:

Butler was stunned when Riley publicly criticized him after last season for missing playoff games. Butler also felt the organization had prioritized Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro over him, especially when Riley and coach Erik Spoelstra essentially anointed Adebayo as the team leader when Udonis Haslem retired.
Butler’s preferential treatment during his years with the Heat is detailed, including staying in his mansion in Boulder, Colorado during the 2023 Finals. He’s also been allowed to fly privately or stay at a different location than the team on road trips.
During the first half of a game against Oklahoma City on Dec. 20, Butler went to the locker room because of a sprained ankle, then left the arena because he told the team’s medical staff that he was feeling sick. He didn’t play the next three games and some team officials began to regard Butler as somewhat AWOL. During the last of those absences, Butler posted a video of himself playing soccer.

Heat Notes: Butler, Young Core, Adebayo, Rozier, Richardson

January 16th, 2025 at 8:53pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Despite the fact that Heat star Jimmy Butler reportedly made it clear he no longer wants to play for the franchise, he may suit up for Miami on Friday, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Butler is eligible to return against Denver from his team-issued suspension and was not listed on Thursday’s injury report.

The six-time All-Star was expected to meet with Arison and CEO Nick Arison on Thursday afternoon to discuss a path forward.

As has been reported, there has been little progress on a potential trade. The Heat would prefer to get a trade done sooner rather than later but will only accept a deal that will help the team both now and moving forward.

We have more from the Heat:

Miami went 3-4 during Butler’s suspension, including three consecutive wins against the Warriors, Jazz and Trail Blazers. The most promising aspect of the trip, The Athletic’s James Jackson writes, is the fact that Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and Nikola Jovic all showed promise. Ware continues to play a larger role as the season goes on. Teammate Tyler Herro expressed optimism about what he saw from those players during the stretch. “Ups and downs with a young player are normal,” Herro said. “I went through it myself. I think that’s the hardest thing: just finding consistency night in and night out. That’s a challenge for any young player. I think getting the reps every night is ultimately what young guys need, to be able to continue to get better and go through ups and downs, play through mistakes. But they’re all playing very well. You can see how good they can be, and I’m really excited for them.“
Ware and Jovic have looked particularly good coming off the bench for Miami, often assisting on each other’s makes, Chiang observes in a separate story. On the other hand, Bam Adebayo and Terry Rozier remain off the mark offensively, with Adebayo shooting a career-low from the field and Rozier shooting his lowest since the 2018/19 season.
Despite being active earlier this month and looking like he was on track to return soon, Josh Richardson went home from the team’s West Coast road trip early for an MRI on his heel. Richardson was ruled out due to that heel issue, according to the team (Twitter link). It’s unknown at this time when Richardson will be able to return or what the results of the MRI were.

Southeast Notes: Herro, Bitadze, Williams, Wizards

January 15th, 2025 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

After being referred to as “fragile” by Heat president Pat Riley last spring, Tyler Herro has responded in impressive fashion to Riley’s public challenge to improve his availability, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Acknowledging during his end-of-season press conference last year that Herro had dealt with some major injuries, Riley said he hoped to see the veteran shooting guard be able to play “in that 72- to 82-game range.”

Herro, who has never appeared in more than 67 games in a season and missed 40 contests in 2023/24, has yet to sit out a single game in ’24/25, having suited up for each of the Heat’s 38 matchups to date.

“I’m trying to play over 70, 75 games, for sure,” Herro said. “Obviously, if I can play all 82, I’ll play 82. But I’m just trying to be as healthy as possible.

“… I don’t need anyone to tell me I’m fragile or I haven’t played as many games,” he continued. “I’m aware of what’s going on. I know I missed the last two seasons, with the hand injury and half the season last year. I’ve seen the comments Coach Riley said. In my own world, I was going to try to play more games on my own either way. I took his words, obviously, into consideration and used it as motivation as I always do.”

As Chiang writes, a player’s availability often comes down to luck, but Herro also says he’s been “more conscious” than ever about managing his body and his weight this season. On top of being more available than in the past, Herro is enjoying a career year in Miami, averaging 24.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game on .469/.403/.862 shooting.

We have more from around the Southeast:

Magic center Goga Bitadze has been placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol and won’t be available on Wednesday vs. Milwaukee, reports Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Bitadze, who has been Orlando’s primary starting center this season, was struck in the head during Sunday’s win over Philadelphia. He didn’t exhibit any concussion symptoms right away, but has since developed those symptoms, Beede explains.
In a conversation with Spencer Davies of RG.org, Hornets center Mark Williams spoke about having Taj Gibson as a veteran mentor, the team’s trust in first-year head coach Charles Lee, and his belief that Charlotte is better than its 8-28 record suggests. “I believe 100 percent we’re better than what our record shows,” Williams said. “I know it sounds kinda repetitive with guys being out, but you can’t control it. So I think for us, whoever is out there on the floor with us, maintaining the same style of play, playing hard, doing all the little things on the court, hustle plays, rebounds. And I think for us, it’s just finding a way no matter what.”
Wizards rookies Alex Sarr, Carlton Carrington, and Kyshawn George, are beginning to feel the effects of the NBA’s 82-game regular season grind, writes Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. Carrington and Sarr rank first and second among first-year players in minutes per game, while George is seventh. “I’ve never played this (number) of games, never played this (many) minutes as well. So it’s definitely taken a toll,” Carrington said. “… Can’t really dwell on it; it’s just something you got to get through.”

Heat Notes: Butler, Adebayo, Love, Ware, Richardson

January 14th, 2025 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

It seems increasingly likely that Jimmy Butler will be rejoining the Heat when they return from their six-game road trip, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Butler, who is nearing the end of his suspension, has been working out at the team facility and is expected to return to the court on Friday if he’s still on the roster.

Team officials have been hoping to resolve the situation with a trade, but they reportedly haven’t made much progress. A source tells Chiang that Miami has engaged in trade talks with several teams over the past week, but isn’t close to making a deal.

In his latest Substack column (subscriber-only), Jake Fischer dives into some of the “conduct detrimental to the team” that the Heat cited when they imposed Butler’s suspension. League sources tell Fischer that Butler has skipped several morning shootarounds and has insisted on taking private flights to some games rather than traveling on the charter with his teammates.

In addition to not getting the contract extension that he wanted, Butler’s dissatisfaction may stem from the loss of several players whom he considered to be close friends, Fischer theorizes. Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin, who were starters on the team that reached the NBA Finals in 2023, all left in free agency over the past two offseasons.

“Those were [Butler’s] guys,” a source told Fischer.

Miami isn’t willing to move Butler just to get rid of a problem, adds Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. The front office is focused on finding players who can help the team win this season while taking back as little future salary as possible. The organization wants to rebuild around Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro without being burdened by another large contract.

There’s more on the Heat:

Adebayo was a late scratch for Monday’s game due to a lower back contusion, Chiang states in a separate story. He had been expected to play earlier in the day, but he was downgraded to questionable during the afternoon before being ruled out a few hours before game time. Adebayo was hurt Saturday in Portland when he fell to the court while trying to catch a pass. “He’s been dealing with it for a few days,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’s getting a lot of treatment and it kind of seized up on him this morning. But we’ll treat him day to day and we’ll reevaluate him.”
With Adebayo unavailable, Spoelstra gave the start to Kevin Love, who had appeared in just one of the previous 12 games, Chiang adds. Love made three three-pointers in the first seven minutes Monday night, but didn’t score again, finishing with nine points and three rebounds in 15 minutes of action. Most of the center minutes went to rookie Kel’el Ware, who had 13 points and six rebounds in the fourth quarter and now seems like an established part of the rotation. “Kel’el has been playing really well,” Spoelstra said. “And he had a very good game tonight. … He’s making progress. It seems to be every day that he’s learning something new.”
Josh Richardson has returned to Miami to have an MRI on his heel and will miss the final game of the road trip Wednesday against the Lakers, the Heat announced (via Twitter). Richardson hasn’t appeared in a game since November 18.

Heat Notes: Butler, Herro, Jovic, Highsmith

January 12th, 2025 at 11:21am CST by Luke Adams

When the Heat announced that they’d suspended Jimmy Butler for seven games, they explained the decision by stating that the veteran forward had engaged in “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team.” However, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel hears from a source close to the situation that the club at one point sought to suspend Butler for a “failure to render services.”

The difference wouldn’t have just been a matter of semantics. As Winderman outlines, a standard suspension for conduct detrimental to the team costs a player 1/145th of his full-season salary per game. In Butler’s case, that works out to $2,355,798 over seven games. However, when a player is suspended for a failure to render services, it costs him 1/91.6th of his salary per game — that would’ve resulted in $3,729,157 in lost salary for the 35-year-old.

Based on Winderman’s reporting, it’s unclear whether the Heat reconsidered taking that route or were prevented from doing so — it presumably would’ve required the club to prove that Butler, who had been playing in games leading up to the suspension, had refused to render the services required by his contract.

Hours after the Heat initially announced the seven-game ban, the National Basketball Players Association put out a statement indicating it intended to file a grievance. It’s safe to assume the NBPA’s objections to the suspension would’ve been even more vociferous if the team had accused Butler of a failure to render services and attempted to recoup more of his salary.

Here’s more on the Heat:

After suffering demoralizing losses to Utah and Sacramento in the first two games of Butler’s suspension, the Heat have righted the ship, beating Portland on Saturday for their third straight victory. As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald points out, two players who were believed to be part of Miami’s 2023 trade offer for then-Blazers guard Damian Lillard led the way in the victory, as Tyler Herro scored a game-high 32 points and Nikola Jovic contributed a personal season-high of 21 points to go along with eight rebounds and five assists. “I like his improvement,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said of Jovic. “He’s playing with more consistency. He’s preparing with more consistency.”
Jackson notes within the same Herald story that starting Haywood Highsmith at power forward has been a winning formula for Miami this season — the club is 17-11 when he starts and just 3-6 when he doesn’t. “He was great tonight,” Spoelstra said after Satuday’s win. “He gives us, when he’s at his best, point of attack defense, harassing other teams’ better guards and wing players. It’s a thankless job except in our locker room.” Highsmith re-signed with the Heat as an unrestricted free agent during the 2024 offseason on a two-year, $10.8MM deal.
Road wins in Golden State, Utah, and Portland this week show that the Heat aren’t unraveling without Butler, Jackson writes in a separate article for The Miami Herald. Highsmith told reporters that “the vibes are great,” while Herro said the club has rediscovered its identity. “Just rallying around each other, making it about the guys that are here now, the guys that are in this locker room,” Herro said. “We’ve got enough, and that’s all that matters. This is what we wanted to get back on the road, get away from all the chaos and come out here and compete and get back to who we are and get to our identity.”
The Lakers‘ and Clippers‘ home games on Saturday were postponed due to the wildfires in the Los Angeles area, but the Heat flew to L.A. on Saturday and are expecting for now to play the Clippers on Monday and Lakers on Wednesday, says Jackson.

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