Tyler Herro scores 31 in Victor Oladipo's comeback to lead Heat past Rockets / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Jim Rassol - USA TODAY Sports, AP - Scanpix | Basketnews collage Credit Jim Rassol - USA TODAY Sports, AP - Scanpix | Basketnews collage

Tyler Herro scored 21 of his 31 points in the second quarter, helping the host Miami Heat (44-22) rally past the Houston Rockets (16-49) 123-106 (25-33, 37-26, 28-20, 33-28) on Monday night.

Player of the Game EFF 28 Tyler Herro Points 31 Accuracy 12-18 Rebounds 2 Assists 3

Houston led by 13 points in the second quarter, but then the Heat went on a 23-6 run and took the lead for good before halftime.

The game marked the return of Heat guard Victor Oladipo, who played his first game since April 2021, having recovered from his second quadriceps surgery. Oladipo, who played 15 minutes off the bench, scored 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting, including 2-for-3 on 3-point attempts. He added four assists.

With 1:55 left in the first quarter, Oladipo made his season debut. He got a big ovation from the home fans, who roared even louder when Oladipo drew a charge on his first defensive possession of the season.

The Heat also got another player back as starting point guard Kyle Lowry returned after missing four straight games due to personal reasons. He was held scoreless but had five assists in 32 minutes.

Miami also got 21 points from Jimmy Butler and 18 points and a game-high 10 rebounds from Bam Adebayo.

Herro has scored at least 20 points in seven straight games as a reserve, extending his franchise record.

Miami, which has won 12 of its last 14 games overall, improved to 23-7 at home. Houston is 7-28 on the road.

The Rockets were led by Kevin Porter Jr., who scored 22 points. Rookie Jalen Green scored 20 points, but he only had six after the first quarter.

The Rockets, who have lost 17 of their past 19 games overall, were without two starters: Christian Wood (non-COVID illness) and Eric Gordon (hamstring). In addition, Dennis Schroder missed his fourth straight game due to a sprained right ankle.

3-pointers this season

34%13,4Points made:13,4Accuracy:34,4%Place in standings:6Record max:23Record min:5Most made 3FGs:Garrison MathewsTeamNBAStatisticsSchedule

Despite those issues, Houston shot 52 percent in the first quarter, including 6-for-14 on 3-point attempts, and led 32-25. Green had 14 points in the quarter, making 5 of 7 shots, including 4 of 6 from beyond the arc.

In the second quarter, Oladipo, after two early misses, made his first shot in 11 months, swishing a corner 3-pointer.

Later in the quarter, Houston stretched its lead to 13 points, but the Heat rallied to go into halftime with a 62-58 advantage.

After a scoreless first quarter, Herro made 8 of 9 shots in the second quarter, including 5 of 6 from 3-point range. As a team, Miami shot 58.3 percent in the second quarter, including 7 of 9 from long distance.

Miami stretched its lead to 15 points in the third quarter, and the Heat cruised from there.

Heat: Tyler Herro 31 (6/9 2PT, 6/9 3PT), Jimmy Butler 21 (7/11 2PT, 7/9 FT, 7 REB, 4 AST), Bam Adebayo 18 (8/15 2PT, 10 REB), Duncan Robinson 13 (3/7 3PT), P.J. Tucker 11 (4/8 2PT, 12 REB), Victor Oladipo 11 (2/3 3PT, 4 AST).

Rockets: Kevin Porter 22 (5/11 3PT, 5 REB), Jalen Green 20 (4/6 2PT, 4/10 3PT), Josh Christopher 16 (3/6 3PT, 2 BLK), Kenyon Martin 14 (5/5 2PT, 3 STL), Alperen Sengun 13 (5/10 2PT, 8 REB).

Full game highlights:

Tyler Herro highlights:

Victor Oladipo's highlights:

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