The Miami Heat were at FTX Arena, taking on the Houston Rockets who have struggled all season. Miami came in to Monday’s matchup 8-2 in their last 10 games while Houston had been 1-9. Houston came into this game tied for the worst record in the NBA with the Orlando Magic.
In the end, Miami took care of business sparked by the return of Victor Oladipo and Kyle Lowry. The Heat remain in first place in the Eastern Conference.
Herro’s Cooking
Miami came out a little slow; therefore, the Heat had to pull themselves out of a little deficit created in the first quarter. This narrative quickly changed as the Heat hit the gas pedal fueled by the return of Victor Oladipo. Tyler Herro scored 31 points off the bench as he continues to prove why he is one of, if not the best sixth man in the NBA. As a result, Herro jump-started the Heat’s second-quarter comeback as he dropped 21 of his total points in the second quarter alone, giving the Heat the spark they needed to get the job done.
“He’s Back”
Monday’s game was highlighted by the return of Victor Oladipo, who was on an 11-month absence. When healthy, Oladipo is one of the premier scorers in the league and showcased exactly that in his limited minutes against Houston. Oladipo scored 11 points in just under 15 minutes of game time. As soon as he checked into the game, FTX arena was roaring. Shortly after getting into the game, Oladipo drew an offensive foul and the crowd went berserk; waiting on this moment for a year. Victor closed out the game with an emphatic dunk, which told the rest of the NBA: “Watch out, I’m back and the Heat are here to stay.”
Victor, we hear you loud and clear.
Up Next
The Heat stay at home to take on Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday evening.