Tyler Herro had the defining moment of Game 3 of the NBA Finals this past Sunday night when he mean mugged on the Los Angeles Lakers following a late bucket.
This week, Herro addressed the viral moment. More specifically, he tried to explain why it occurred.
“I’ve never made that face before in my entire life,” he said.
“Kind of just happened.”
Between the timeliness of his score and the adrenaline that had to have been coursing through his veins at the moment, that explanation makes sense.
Interestingly enough, Herro did not have a great showing in Game 3. The former Kentucky star did score 17 points, but he did it on 18 shots. Moreover, he finished with a +/- of +1, but the other starters — Meyers Leonard with a +13, Jimmy Butler with a +20, Jae Crowder with a +21, and Duncan Robinson with a +27 — all finished with a considerably higher one.
Doc Rivers always keeps it real. https://t.co/HHS8yccMYb
— Game 7 (@game7__) October 5, 2020
History is written by winners, though. And Herro won Game 3, so the narrative surrounding the outing revolves around his team’s showing and his now infamous mean mug.
After the outing, Jimmy Butler (the undeniable star of Game 3) said that even he noticed Herro’s scowl.
“I saw it,” he said. “He did that thing with his lip. I saw that.”
Herro’s girlfriend, Katya Elise Henry, also loved it.
HE SAID QUIT PLAYIN W MEEEEE 😍 https://t.co/QlJrSb6Uen
— KATYA ELISE HENRY (@katyaelisehenry) October 5, 2020
So far in the NBA Playoffs Herro is averaging 16.4 points on 44 percent shooting, 5.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Those numbers are up from the 13.5 points on 42.8 percent shooting, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game he was averaging during the regular season.
Of course, the rookie is also getting noticeably more playing time now than he used to. During the regular season he averaged 27.4 minutes per game, whereas in the playoffs that figure jumped to 33.8 minutes per game.
Nikki immediately reacted to the big night. https://t.co/88VaRXJzpt
— Game 7 (@game7__) October 5, 2020
All in all, regardless of how you break down the numbers, this postseason has clearly been a coming out party for Herro. His star is brighter than ever, and now will come the hard part – living up to actual expectations.
Will he be able to do it? Time will tell. We’ll get our first answer on Tuesday night, when the Heat take on the Lakers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. If Miami can pull out the win there, the series is suddenly knotted at two games apiece and can go either way. If the Lakers win – then them winning the title becomes all but inevitable.
Related: Bill Belichick’s Mask For Patriots-Chiefs Goes Viral (Photo)
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
