Heat's Tyler Herro makes last NBA All-Star case in loss to Cavaliers

MIAMI – One day before Miami Heat star Tyler Herro finds out if he is an All-Star or not, the team loses to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night, 126-106. As the standoff between the Heat and Jimmy Butler continues, the team is still finding a way to find some semblance and consistency.

Herro would lead along with Terry Rozier with 22 points as the All-Star hopeful also had six assists and five rebounds while shooting nine of 20 from the field and four of 10 from beyond the arc. Bam Adebayo would finish with 21 points and nine rebounds while the other Miami players in double-digits were Duncan Robinson, Haywood Highsmith, and Nikola Jovic.

Here are three takeaways from the Heat's loss to the Cavs:

Frustrating first half for Heat, Donovan Mitchell leads way for Cavs

Was a sloppy beginning for Miami to start the game as Cleveland came out and had major intensity on the defensive side of the ball, with each player not getting a chance to breathe on the offensive end. This was especially true in terms of the Heat getting going in the paint as the first three makes for them were from three-point range from Herro, Adebayo, and Robinson.

‘By the end of the period, the home team got outscored 26-8 in the paint which could have looked worse if Rozier didn't have two late layups. Miami would end the quarter shooting 38.1 percent from the field and only three of 11 from deep compared to Cleveland who shot 50 percent from the field, but only made two of 13 from deep, meaning both teams couldn't hit much from three-point range.

The second quarter seemed to be a little better as the Heat started on a 5-0 run which led head coach Kenny Atkinson to call a quick timeout. However, any momentum would get stalled as Miami finished the period with 20 points, one less than the frustrating quarter before.

Two notable standout aspects from the first half were the inability to get going in the paint as Cleveland outscored Miami, 36-18, in that area. Plus, Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell had 14 points on six for nine shooting from the field, which is more than he had when the two teams met up last on Dec. 9 where the Heat won as he scored 12 in that contest.

Some life for the Heat in second half, but succumbed to defeat by Cavs

It was an up-and-down third quarter which started with a spurt of offense from Haywood Highsmith who scored 10 points within the first three minutes of the second half. Despite cutting the deficit down to 10, the Cavaliers kept roaring back and stifling any comeback attempt.

However, Herro would come alive towards the end of the period with eight points, including two big threes to end the frame to bring back the deficit to 10 going into the fourth. Miami scored 43 points in the entire quarter compared to Cleveland's 35 as they have the momentum going into the final frame.

Once again, the team would try to find something successful to build off of, but the Cavs once again stopped the Heat in their tracks leading to the 20-point loss. Mitchell would finish with 34 points on an effective night, a far cry compared to the last time these two teams met up at the Kaseya Center as the Heat now embark on a four-game road trip.

Despite Heat loss, Tyler Herro hopes to be an All-Star on Thursday

After the loss vs. the Cavs, the Heat's All-Star hopeful Herro awaits the decision to see if he will be a reserve in the events as he will find out Thursday. Live on TNT at 6:30 p.m. (EST), they will announce the selections which are handpicked by head coaches around the league as it will be Herro's last chance this season to get his first nod.

The pool is no doubt very competitive though as the original Eastern Conference starters are Mitchell and New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson. Herro will have four chances as the reserves have two spots for guards and another two for players regardless of position.

Such players in the same spot as Herro are Milwaukee Bucks' Damian Lillard, Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young, Indiana Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton, Detroit Pistons' Cade Cunningham, Cavaliers' Darius Garland, Charlotte Hornets' Lamelo Ball, and Philadelphia 76ers' Tyrese Maxey.

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra would say bluntly that Herro was an All-Star before the loss on Wednesday, though it isn't “his style” to lobby for a player. This season entering Wednesday's game, Herro leads Miami by averaging 24.1 points and 5.4 assists to go along with 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 40 percent from deep.

The team is now 23-23 as they have been hovering around .500 for a while now.