Miami Heat's Tyler Herro Grades Well In First Playoff Game

Miami Heat rookie Tyler Herro was already prepared for the experience after having discussions with teamates such as Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic and Andre Iguodala.

Herro's first playoff game was everything he expected and he handled it with ease. He scored 15 points in the Heat's 113-101 victory against the Indiana Pacers Tuesday in Game 1 of their first-round Eastern Conference series.

"It felt a little different obviously," Herro said. "My vets really told me what it was going to be like. The intensity was a lot higher. It was a lot at stake. Both teams want to win bad. It was Game 1. We all wanted to come out and get Game 1. It was a big win for us but we know there's a lot more that we need to do. It felt good to get out there and get my first playoff game under my belt."

Herro, who entered the NBA after playing just one season at Kentucky, also had four assists, three rebounds and a steal in 34 minutes. The Heat coaching staff had enough trust to play him during the crucial fourth quarter. Coach Erik Spoelstra had confidence because of Herro's continued growth on the defensive end.

"He's drilled at it," Spoelstra said. "... He still has a ways to go defensively but he's much better than when he first arrived in Miami."

The Heat return to action for Game 2 Thursday at 1 p.m.

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