NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CELTICS VS. HEAT

September 16, 2020

Tyler Herro

Miami Heat

Practice Day

Q. Last night Duncan had a game where he's trying to get into a rhythm and he gets in foul trouble. Can you talk to us as a shooter and scorer, what is it like when foul trouble takes you out of your rhythm and does it become a point where it naturally becomes frustrating?

TYLER HERRO: I think for sure that it's more just having to be on the floor in a long period of time and be able to catch a rhythm. I don't think it was -- obviously not too frustrating for Duncan, but I think just being on the floor, the more he's on the floor he can obviously get more shots up and then it's easier to catch a rhythm when you're out there for a longer period of time.

So you know, we want him to continue to shoot the ball with confidence and we expect him to continue to do that.

Q. And haven't had a chance to ask you about this, but your thoughts on John Calipari saying you have a very large pair of, whatever shall we say. What was your reaction to that when you saw it constantly, everywhere?

TYLER HERRO: It was funny. Coach Cal doesn't lie when he said he tells me that all the time. I mean, he's been telling me that since I was at Kentucky. It was just something that he says to me a lot.

Q. What is it about this team, the chemistry of this team, that you think is special? Spo was just talking about how much he enjoys this group in particular.

TYLER HERRO: I think just we all come from a different place, and we all realize that and we all have a will to win and just we don't care who scores the ball, who does what on the floor. We all just want to win and we have a great group of guys in the locker room that are all for each other. We came here to the bubble as a group and we wanted to make a run at a championship and that's what we're doing.

Q. You've talked openly about how you feel like there were people who doubted you along the way throughout various points of your career. How much are you built for these moments, playoffs in particular? How much do you find you're enjoying this process?

TYLER HERRO: Yeah, I love it. I think I'm not the only guy on the team who has been doubted. There's a lot of undrafted guys, guys who have been in the second round, and I think that's why we have a chip on our shoulder as a team. We all have been doubted at some point through our career and now we are all together in one locker room and feel like we can put it together and win games.

Q. Your reaction to making All-Rookie Second Team?

TYLER HERRO: It was good. I'm excited -- or happy for myself and the rest of the guys who made it. Felt like I could have been on the First Team but I'm happy with what I got.

Q. Coach says it a lot, probably said it to you, but this group of young players doesn't know what they don't know. What have you learned about what it takes to deal with these high-pressure momentum swings that you all as a group, you’ve had to endure a lot during these playoffs but you responded extremely well obviously?

TYLER HERRO: Yeah, just every possession matters. As a rookie, I think that's the one thing I've learned throughout the playoffs is every possession matters. Everything matters, whether it's in the first quarter, that can play a vital role in what's going on in the fourth quarter. Just really taking value of each possession and really taking care of the ball and making the right plays, taking the right shots and just being focused on the other end on defense.

Q. Coach was talking about persistence and how important continuing to cut and continuing to move is against this defense. How do you feel like the way that you guys use the shot clock to its fullest extent on every possession and you keep splitting and back-cutting, how does that give you a big advantage in this series?

TYLER HERRO: They do a lot of switching and they can flatten us out on that end of the floor where if we're not detailed and not doing things with precision, that's where they can flatten us out and they can get us late in the shot clock and we end up taking shots that we don't want to take.

Like I said, just doing things with detail and getting the ball where we want it and that's how we get the best shots and work it to our advantage.

Q. The confidence you have been playing, where does that come from?

TYLER HERRO: Just hours in the gym, my coaching staff and the rest of my teammates feed life into me, feed confidence into me and trust me and they want me to do what I've been doing.

Q. How did your film study or what did you see in film study that helped prepare you for a game like yesterday, and secondly, did you notice or was there any point you noticed you were close to a triple-double?

TYLER HERRO: I did not know I was close to a triple-double throughout the game.

The film, we watched a lot film leading up to this series and knowing what their tendencies and objectives are and what they want to do. They want to play to their strengths and that's what we want to do. It's going to be a dogfight the whole series. We are excited to be a part of it.

Q. How special is this season for you personally, and because you are a rookie and you fight for the NBA Finals, to go to the NBA Finals and also, some of your teammates told us this team is special. What makes this team so special?

TYLER HERRO: Me as a rookie, it's just a blessing to be here. I never thought I would be playing in the Eastern Conference Finals with a chance to go to the Finals. I'm just taking every part of it with me and enjoying it. Taking advantage of my opportunity.

What was your second question?

Q. It was about the team, because some of your teammates told us that this team is special this season. What makes this team so special?

TYLER HERRO: We just got a great locker room. A lot of guys who want to win and our grit. There's been a couple times in these playoffs where we've been down double-digits going into the fourth quarter and we stormed back and made play after play on both ends of the floor and we win. So, just championship DNA in our locker room.