The Miami Heat came into their Thanksgiving Eve matchup on Wednesday needing a win in the worst way. Dropping their previous four games straight and continuing to endure what has been a tumultuous season thus far, due to both injury and acclimation, getting a win would be a good way to enjoy their holiday possibly.
Though they still wouldn’t get Jimmy Butler back into the lineup, while Duncan Robinson remains out due to a recently sustained ankle injury, they would welcome back two key pieces of their rotation. Tyler Herro and Gabe Vincent would make their returns for the Miami Heat when they needed them the most.
But it wasn’t either of those two guards that really popped things off for the Heat on Wednesday. Just as he has for much of these past four games, it was Kyle Lowry that did the heavy lifting to boost the Heat to the start they needed.
The Miami Heat needed a win badly and Tyler Herro’s return would see them get it. Well, Kyle Lowry would also be huge in helping to end the four-game skid.
Scoring 24 points in the first half on 5/6 shooting from range, Kyle Lowry continued to be in the rare form that his head coach has praised him for recently. And the Miami Heat followed suit, carrying the momentum provided by their starting point guard all the way to a, 60-43, lead at halftime.
That’s something the Miami Heat have managed to do quite a few times in the last few games, take a lead into the halftime break. However, also as they’ve managed to do over that same stretch, they allowed the Wizards to use that third period to climb back into the game.
With Kyle Lowry exiting about midway through the third with his fifth foul, the Wizards would make it a game again. Coming down to the wire in the fourth period though, with Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro both on the floor, it was their play that did it.
Though Tyler Herro would make the shots, with two huge fourth-quarter three-point shots in crunch time, it was Kyle Lowry’s leadership and play throughout that also contributed mightily to the win.
There’s not a lot to this one, ending, 113-105, for Miami. Kyle Lowry carried them to a big enough lead early that they were able to just hang on when he wasn’t on the floor and when they needed big shots late—Tyler Herro came through.
You’re just glad the Heat could finally end the skid and get a win here.