Tyler Herro intends to play in Eastern Conference Finals Game 7

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The Miami Heat should have the whole squad ready to go for the most important game of the season.

Shooting guard Tyler Herro has the “intent to play” against the Boston Celtics in Sunday night’s Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. The 22-year-old Sixth Man of the Year has sat out the previous three games for Miami due to a strained left groin. Herro has reportedly made “significant progress” in his recovery over the last several days and will return to the floor barring an unexpected hiccup during warmups.

“It’s all hands on deck. (Herro) passed his testing with the trainers,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said, according to ESPN’s Nick Friedell.

Miami lost Games 4 and 5 without Herro before taking Game 6 on Friday to force the decisive Game 7 on Sunday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EST on ESPN.

#BOSvsMIA INJURY UPDATE: Tyler Herro (groin) will warm up with the intent to play in tonight’s Game 7 vs the Celtics.
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) May 29, 2022

Herro has had a special third year in the NBA this season. He jumped his scoring average from 15.1 points per game in 2020-21 to 20.7 in 2021-22. The former Kentucky Wildcat also averaged 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per contest while shooting 44.7 percent from the field, 39.9 percent from distance, and 86.8 percent from the free-throw line.

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Unfortunately, his spectacular regular-season play hasn’t followed him into the playoffs.

Herro is averaging just 13.5 points per game for Miami across his 14 appearances while shooting 23.2 percent from beyond the arc. He’s posted just two games of 20-plus points and was being held to a low overall shooting percentage of 39 percent by Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals before straining his groin in the fourth quarter of Game 3.

ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported shortly after Herro was injured that the injury typically requires a two-to-four week rehabilitation process. However, he now intends to play after being sidelined for just eight days. Miami is going all-in with another shot at the NBA Finals on the line.