ATLANTA — Tyler Herro marked his comeback from a rib injury by scoring 24 points, leading the Miami Heat to a dominant 128-97 triumph over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, a game in which Miami never relinquished the lead.
For Miami, Bam Adebayo contributed 17 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, while Norman Powell, fresh off his inaugural All-Star appearance, chipped in 15 points. Kel’el Ware recorded a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Jalen Johnson achieved his 11th triple-double of the season for Atlanta, tallying 16 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists. This remarkable feat sets a new franchise record for triple-doubles in a single season and places him atop the Eastern Conference rankings.
Oneka Okongwu paced Atlanta with 22 points. Coming off the bench, CJ McCollum added 20 points, including four successful 3-pointers.
This contest was Herro’s 12th outing of the season. He had been sidelined for the previous 15 games due to a rib injury, making his return protected by a flak jacket.
Despite coming off the bench, Herro displayed no signs of restriction, accumulating 16 points in the first half alone. He has also previously missed games this season due to ankle and toe ailments.
The Heat have now secured victories in six of their last seven away games.
Heat: Will host Memphis on Saturday.
Hawks: Will host Brooklyn on Sunday.
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