BY: VENANCIO VALENCIA Jr — SPORTS ON AIR — CORRESPONDENT
SAN FRANCISCO — Herro ball works, after all.
Miami Heat gunner Tyler Herro is the latest sharpshooter to emerge as the NBA’s 3-point king following his victory on All-Star Saturday Night at the Chase Center.
Herro lit up the scoreboard for 24 points in the final round, barely edging Golden State Warriors’ Buddy Hield, who finished with 23 after firing 31 in the opening round.
Herro had a slow start, scoring just 19 in the first round but he caught fire when it mattered. Darius Garland of the Cleveland Cavaliers finished in third place.
The top field of competitors included Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks, Dame Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks, Cam Johnson of the Brooklyn Nets, Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons and Norman Powell of the L.A. Clippers.
“Just happy, enjoying the moment, just happy to be here. I was definitely nervous heading into the first round. But I thought I shot it pretty well in the second round and then Buddy (Hield) had a chance to tie it in the end,” Herro said of his range of emotions during the contest.
Herro now joins the list of luminaries such as Larry Bird, Steph Curry and Damien Lillard as NBA greats to win the mid-season classic shooting crown.
“It means a lot. I feel like a lot of great shooters, a lot of great players, some of the greats to play this game have won this award — not just this competition. Just happy to put my name in the books for All-Star Weekend,” Herro said of the distinction.
A full-time starter at Miami, Herro is enjoying a fabulous season where he is averaging 23.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists an outing. Herro signed a contract extension in 2022, a deal that pays him $29 million this season.
