Once again, Tyler Herro becomes the focus of the No. 1 seed's game plan

The Miami Heat's playoff hopes are hanging by a thread, and Game 4 on Monday night looms as their last chance to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers. After getting thoroughly outclassed in Game 3, Erik Spoelstra and his squad are desperately searching for answers.

The Cavs unleashed a devastating defensive strategy in Game 3, relentlessly top-locking Tyler Herro to take away Miami's primary offensive engine. Max Strus face-guarded Herro, pinning him in the corner and forcing the Heat to play 4-on-4 basketball. The results were ugly.

The Heat need to get Herro back involved in the offense.

Miami's offense looked completely lost without Herro's creation. No one else could generate consistent looks, and the Heat's spacing was a mess. Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins failed to step up, while Duncan Robinson couldn't find clean looks. Only Davion Mitchell provided occasional sparks.

So what can the Heat do differently in Game 4? For starters, they need to counter Cleveland's top-locking scheme. Having Herro sprint backdoor and then come off pin-down screens on the opposite side could free him up. Miami also needs to improve its 4-on-4 spacing when Herro is trapped in the corner.

Getting Bam Adebayo more involved as a facilitator on the same side as Herro could open things up. If Herro starts hitting backdoor cuts, it may force Cleveland's bigs to play back, giving Bam more room to operate up top.

The Heat should also consider letting Herro attack more in isolation, rather than relying so heavily on pick-and-rolls. Max Strus isn't known as a lockdown defender – Herro needs to punish that matchup.

Of course, Miami's other players have to step up too. Adebayo must be more aggressive offensively and dominate his matchup with Jarrett Allen. Andrew Wiggins desperately needs to break out of his slump. And it may be time to unleash Duncan Robinson for more minutes to juice the offense.

Ultimately, the Heat's season is on the line. They need Tyler Herro to explode for 30-plus points, Bam to play like an All-Star, and their role players to hit shots. Even then, it may not be enough against this Cavs juggernaut.

Let’s be honest, this series is over. No team has come back from an 0-3 deficit to win a playoff series, and there’s no evidence from these first three games that this Heat team will make history. 

But for one night, in front of their home crowd, the Heat have a chance to make a statement. Win or lose, the important part is to avoid another embarrassment like Game 3 and put together something worth building on in the offseason.

Last season, Herro’s experience as Miami’s No. 1 scoring option in the first round against the Boston Celtics provided him with a jumping off point for a career-changing offseason. This year’s top seed is presenting a similar challenge. Time will tell how Herro responds.