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The Miami Heat squandered a great opportunity to distance themselves from the NBA Play-In Tournament, losing a January 29 game to the lowly Charlotte Hornets. The Heat let a 13-point lead get away from them in the second half, allowing the Hornets to mount a comeback and eventually take away the win,122-117.
Following the loss, Miami guard Tyler Herro called out his team’s effort level in the loss.
“Being up 13, you know, we gotta find that killer instinct, where we can put our foot on the pedal and get that lead from 13 to 20, and then keep the lead,” Herro said via Bally Sports Sun: Heat. “We gave up the lead I think by turnovers, not getting back in transition, and just then not applying enough force on the defensive end, and they were getting whatever they wanted. That really started in the first half. They got whatever they wanted, easy buckets. Then because of some confidence and some rhythm they were able to hit the tough ones in the second half. It’s on us as a team, we just gotta be better with the focus and the energy that we play with.”
The 23-year-old reiterated that he felt as if the issues started in the first half, allowing Charlotte to get on a roll later in the game.
“It started in the first half. I didn’t think we came out with enough force and aggression on that side of the ball, which, like I said, allowed them to get comfortable, and then by the fourth quarter, they were confident, comfortable, they were getting to their spots, which is easy when they’re comfortable.”
Herro put together a solid performance in the Queen City. He finished the game with 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, knocking down 9 of his 21 attempts along the way.
Kyle Lowry Prefers to Stay With Heat With Trade Deadline Looming
Herro’s backcourt partner, Kyle Lowry, wasn’t quite able to contribute at the same level as the Wisconsin native. Lowry finished the game with 11 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds on 3-11 shooting.
The 36-year-old hasn’t been performing at the level that Heat had hoped he would when they brought him in before last season. He’s appeared in 41 of Miami’s 51 games this season, playing 33.8 minutes each time. Lowry averages 12.4 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.4 rebounds on 40.3% shooting from the field and 33.6% from deep.
His struggles have lead to his name being included in an abundance of trade rumors. On January 28, Lowry made it clear to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson that he prefers to remain in South Beach with the trade deadline looming.
“I have a very nice contract that can be moved,” he said. “But.. I want to stay. I enjoy this place.”
Clippers Interested In Trading For Heat’s Kyle Lowry
While Lowry would prefer to remain in Miami, that doesn’t mean that there’s any guarantee he will. If Pat Riley and the front office decide to move on from the aging star, it sounds like they’ll have at least one trade partner.
On January 24, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor reported that the Los Angeles Clippers have interest in trading for Lowry.
“League sources say the Clippers are also interested in Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet,” O’Connor wrote. “Lowry makes $28.3 million, and his decline with the Heat has been even more apparent this season than (Mike) Conley’s dip with the Jazz. Conley ranks 84th in our Top 100 NBA Player Rankings, while Lowry fell out entirely in the most recent update.”
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