MIAMI — Two days after the NBA Replay Center overturned his third-quarter 3-pointer during critical sequence of Sunday night’s Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat guard Max Strus said Tuesday he still is not convinced about the ruling.
“I don’t know how that was called that after I had seen the video,” Strus said of the angles of the replay made publicly available regarding the league ruling his foot was out of bounds. “They say they have that rule to take the human error out of the game, and then the human error makes an error on the video.
“So I don’t know. But hope I don’t get fined. I’m obviously not happy about it. It is what it is at this point. I guess you can’t really do anything. But it definitely changed the game and the momentum.”
The 3-pointer was formally deducted during a timeout that also featured a pair of Celtics free throws.
“I think it went to a six-point game to an 11-point with no time off coming off the clock,” Strus said. “So, yeah, it is what it is, I guess is the best I could put it. I’m not happy about it, but I guess you just got to move on.”
Strus closed the series against the Celtics 14 of 48 on 3-pointers (the rescinded 3-point was not ruled a shot attempt, but rather a turnover), as part of the Heat’s 30% shooting on 3-pointers in the East finals.
“Teams made adjustments to what we were good at and what works,” Strus said. “Teams did a good job of taking us out of those actions and triggers that got us open threes.
“And you can put the full blame on me for our 3-point shooting percentage. I should be the leader of that as a shooter on the team.”
Herro’s roller-coaster
Unable to push through his groin strain at the close of the Celtics series, and having struggled earlier in the playoffs, third-year guard Tyler Herro addressed Tuesday his season that included being named 2022 NBA Sixth Man of the Year.
“I mean, first of all, the season was good or great, as far as the experiences, the memories, everything that happened,” he said. “Obviously not the ending that we wanted.
“The playoffs for me were kind of a weird ride, up and down. But I think it was a learning curve for me. I think people forget I just turned 22. And it’s still only my third playoffs.”
Herro said the goal was to be back to health for Thursday’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals, a game that never arrived.
“It was lingering a little bit throughout the playoffs, but nothing crazy, it was just a sore groin,” he said of the groin strain before further injuring it in Boston. “Game 3 is when I tweaked it a little more and that’s when I really couldn’t play through it.”
Closing thoughts
A restricted free agent provided the Heat extend a qualifying offer, forward Caleb Martin said the goal is to return.
“I want to be here. I got better here. I believe I’ll get better here,” he said. “I want a great situation no matter what. I feel like my team and the staff believe in me and feel I’ll get better here.” ...
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he expects that the best is yet to come in Victor Oladipo’s comeback from May 2021 quadriceps surgery.
“You are going to see a totally different Vic by the time he gets to training camp,” Spoelstra said, with Oladipo an impending free agent. ...
Guard Gabe Vincent said the hope is for a more consistent role next season.
“I think I’ve shown I can be a rotational player in this league,” he said. “I would love to play every game.” ...
Veteran forward Udonis Haslem, as expected, declined to discuss possible retirement, saying he needed a “mental break” before such a decision. ...
Herro declined to directly address his extension window this offseason.
“I’m not sure what’s going to happen,” he said. “We’ll see what happens this summer. My agent will talk to who he needs to talk to and we’ll see what happens.”
