Heat’s Jimmy Butler on Tyler Herro: ‘This isn’t a big stage for him’

Tyler Herro may have become the youngest player to start in the NBA Finals but Butler doesn’t see that as an issue for him.

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Led by Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro, the Miami Heat picked up a 115-104 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday in Game 3 of the NBA Finals to cut the series deficit to 2-1.

Butler recorded 40 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds during the victory and became just the third player in history to tally a 40-point triple-double in the NBA Finals, joining LeBron James (2015) and Jerry West (1969). Butler also became the first player to outscore, outrebound and out-assist James in an NBA Finals game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Herro, who became the youngest player in history to start in the NBA Finals in Game 2, scored 17 points, three rebounds and two assists while he shot 6-of-18 from the field, including 2-of-7 from 3-point range. He scored eight points in the fourth quarter and put the game on ice with a tough and-1 finish over Rajon Rondo with less than a minute left.

Even though Herro became the youngest player to start in the NBA Finals, Butler doesn’t see that as being a problem for his rookie teammate. Herro has often played with supreme confidence throughout the year, which Butler praised following Sunday’s win.

I saw him just hoop, which is what I tell him every single chance I get. This isn’t a big stage for him, this is just basketball. Do what you’ve been doing all year long and we’re going to live with it. We ride with you, we’re supporting you and we’re constantly giving you confidence.

There’s no shot that you’ve never seen that you don’t like, and we love you for that. So you take those because that’s what’s going to help us win games, compete, guard. And being the youngest to play or start, it’s another day for him. It is.

Herro has scored 17 points in each of his two starts in place of Goran Dragic, who suffered a torn left plantar fascia. The two performances follow an abysmal showing in Game 1, in which he was a minus-35 on the court, as he has performed much better since then.

Outside of Game 1, the Heat have played well enough to win but were unable to do so in Game 2 after allowing James and Anthony Davis to combine for 65 points. Without Dragic and Bam Adebayo, the Heat will continue to need Butler, and the rest of the team, to step up in order to have a chance.

Game 4 is set to tip-off on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

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