Tyler Herro spoke after the Miami Heat’s 128-114 loss to the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday night, addressing the team’s recent slide and defensive issues.
Miami has now lost 10 of its last 13 games, a stretch that has shifted the focus toward preparation for the upcoming play-in scenario rather than playoff positioning.
Herro emphasized persistence when asked about breaking the slump, saying, “We got to just continue to stick with it. We can stick to the game plan and continue to fight. We’re not going to give up.”
When asked whether Miami has reached a point of major change in approach, he responded, “I’m not the coach. I’m not saying ask like Spo [Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra], but we tried a lot of different things throughout the year.”
He also added that adjustments remain part of ongoing discussions within the team structure, saying, “And I’m sure Spo will think about something after tonight, obviously. Like I said, we’ve tried a lot, but I know he’s not going to give up either.”
Miami’s defensive regression over the last month has become a key concern, and Herro pointed to connectivity as the main requirement for improvement.
He explained, “It’s as a defense to be good and I’ve been on actually teams that have been very good defensively and I’m not saying I’m the best defender, but the unit has to be connected and we had to be one on a string.”
Herro expanded on the required collective effort, saying, “Guys have to cover for each other. Guys have to have each other’s backs. That’s flying around, making extra efforts, doing all the little things, getting extra possessions, rebounds, and just playing harder on that end.”
He also stressed that defensive consistency cannot come from individual effort alone, adding, “It takes a whole unit to feel connected to really have a good defense.”
Miami briefly showed competitive resistance in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to six points after trailing by 26 earlier in the game.
Herro reflected on that stretch, saying, “We talked at half that this could be like a signature comeback win for us. We haven’t had that happen all year and we got it to six.”
However, Toronto responded with key plays to regain control, a swing Herro acknowledged as decisive in the final outcome.
With the Heat locked into the play-in picture, attention has shifted toward preparation for that format.
Herro stated, “It’s we’ve trying to get out of the playin. Obviously, we’re going to be in the play-in. So it’s going to be the next two games preparing ourselves for that.”
Despite the struggles, Miami’s guard pointed to scheduling context as a potential short-term focus for improvement, saying, “Yeah, we should be able to win tomorrow.”
