Getty Victor Oladipo #4 (L) and Tyler Herro #14, Miami Heat
After Tyler Herro’s buzzer-beater helped the Miami Heat beat the Utah Jazz on New Year’s Eve, 126-123, Victor Oladipo spoke to Bally Sports to talk about the impact of the young Heat star who helped the Heat pull off their 19th victory of the season.
“That’s no shocker. Tyler works really hard,” Oladipo said. “With a name like ‘Herro,’ who wouldn’t want to be in those moments? He flourishes in those moments. Luckily for us, we have many guys who can do it. Jimmy, him, Bam, Kyle, who made big shots down the stretch and big shots in the game. Tyler hit one tonight. He’s hit a few this year. We’re going to need him to continue to keep playing at a high level so we can make some noise the rest of the season.”
“Yeah man…I can score the basketball.,,my mindset is just ‘work hard.'”
Victor Oladipo speaks after the Heat’s victory about his scoring outburst, Tyler Herro’s game-winner, his huge dunk earlier in the game, and more
What makes Herro’s shot more impressive was that it was done with no gameplan whatsoever. With 6.3 seconds left and the Jazz having just tied the game, Herro took it coast-to-coast to take a contested, awkward-looking three-point shot that hit the bottom of the net.
TYLER HERRO GAME WINNER. 🚨🚨🚨🚨
With the win, the Heat are tied with the New York Knicks for the no. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference at 19-18.
Oladipo Reflects on Performance
In 11 games this season, Oladipo is averaging 9.4 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 38 percent from the field and 28 percent from three. Oladipo put up his best performance against the Jazz, putting up 23 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three steals while shooting seven-for-15 from the field and four-for-nine from three in 35 minutes.
During his postgame interview, Oladipo reflected on his scoring abilities following his breakout performance.
“I can score the basketball, man,” Oladipo said. “I’ve been scoring my whole life. I’ve missed a lot of basketball. With that being said, my mindset is just to work hard. Stop worrying about the results. Stop worrying about how I look. Stop worrying about things that I can’t control, and see what happens. Just keep working hard, and it’s paying off.”
The numbers he’s been putting up with the Heat are a far cry from what he put up during his heyday with the Indiana Pacers, but if Oladipo can find some form of consistency on the offensive end, that could be a boost for the Heat’s offensive rating, which is tied for 23rd among NBA teams.
Oladipo Talks About In-Game Dunk
Oladipo also turned back the clock during the Jazz game, as he managed to posterize Jazz center Walker Kessler.
VICTOR OLADIPO POSTER. 🔥🔥🔥
Oladipo talked about his dunk over Kessler during his postgame interview by getting candid about his frustration over his lack of dunks lately.
“You know what’s funny is that I haven’t dunked all year. It’s been bothering me real bad, so I’m glad I got one. That was my first one of the year, so it’s pretty cool for it to be that,” Oladipo said.
Since joining the Heat in 2021, Oladipo has had six dunks in total. He had three when he was acquired mid-season in 2021, two throughout last season, and of course, the one he had over Kessler against the Jazz. Oladipo was once considered a pretty exciting in-game dunker, as he once participated in the NBA dunk contest in 2018.
His performance against the Jazz could very be the turning point, but Oladipo will have prove as such.