Miami Heat fans were waiting patiently for the return of Tyler Herro from his offseason ankle surgery. It finally took place on Monday night, and Herro looked like he didn't skip a beat after missing the first 17 games of the 2025-26 season.
In 29 minutes, Herro finished with 24 points and seven rebounds while shooting 12-for-18 from the field. His final bucket came at a crucial time, hitting a midrange pull-up from nine feet out to give Miami a two-point lead with 42.9 seconds left on the clock.
Although it appears that he's healthy and ready to take on the rest of the season, the lone Miami Heat All-Star last season is still working his way back from the procedure he had on his ankle in September.
MORE: Heat face rising concern over Norman Powell injury as Tyler Herro nears return
Tyler Herro describes his new approach to this season after returning to lineup on Monday
Although Tyler Herro looked as sharp in his first game back as he did before undergoing surgery to address posterior impingement syndrome in his left ankle, he said after Monday's win that getting back to full strength remains a work in progress.
"I still got to rehab, recover," Herro told Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. "I easily could have probably waited another two weeks to come back, but I’m healthy enough to be out there, and I want to be out there... I took the last couple days when the team was on the road just to prepare my body for tonight, and it was a lot of fun to go out there and compete and ultimately win.”
It seems that the recovery process has resulted in a new mindset for the Heat guard.
"I’ll have two points on Wednesday. I just want to come out here and compete, play hard, win. Everyone knows I can score. I’m just trying to win," Herro added.
The Miami Heat will look to make it six wins in a row on Wednesday while they host the Milwaukee Bucks. Despite Herro returning, the team is still monitoring other injuries as Norman Powell (groin), Nikola Jovic (hip), and Andrew Wiggins (hip) were unable to suit up on Monday.
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