Miami Heat star enters MVP conversation

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro is having the best season of his young career.

He’s on track to become an NBA All-Star for the first time. Some also call him the best player on the team, surpassing Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler. This has led to Herro receiving widespread recognition in the MVP voting.

According to NBA.com, he is now No. 10 on the list of players most deserving of the Most Valuable Player award.

Herro and the Heat play the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight. For more coverage, stay tuned to Five Reasons Sports Network.

Here is the game preview:

Game time: 8 p.m., Kaseya Center, Miami

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Betting line: Thunder -1.5

VITALITY: The Heat and Thunder meet for the first of two regular season meetings. Last season, Oklahoma City won the series 2-0 after Miami won the final three games of the season 6-0. The Heat are 30-42 against OKC in the regular season, including 16-20 in home games and 14-22 in away games.

PROJECTED STARTERS

HEAT

G Duncan Robinson

G Tyler Herro

C Bam Adebayo

F Jimmy Butler

F Haywood Highsmith

THUNDER

F Jalen Williams

F Luguentz There

C Isaiah Hartenstein

G Cason Wallace

G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

INJURY REPORT

HEAT

Pelle Larsson: Questionable – ankle

Nikola Jovic: Questionable – ankle

Josh Christopher: Out – G League

Keshad Johnson: Questionable – Two-Sided

Josh Richardson: Doubtful – Heel

THUNDER

Jalen Bridges: Out – G League

Ryan Dunn: Questionable – ankle

Kevin Durant: Out – ankle

Collin Gillespie: Out – Two-Way

Jusuf Nurkic: Failure: thigh

Alex Ducas: Out – G League

Adam Flagler: Out – G League

Chet Holmgren: Out – Back

Dillon Jones: Out – G League

Nikola Topic: Out – Knees

ADVERTISING

Jaylin Williams: Lost – hamstring injury

QUOTABLE

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on Coach Spo’s first 5K on Sunday, an event benefiting Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and the Miami Heat Charitable Fund: “This is something I’ve wanted to do for a few years. It is important to us, to the cause, to our family. And the Miami Heat foundation has done a great job of that.

“The staff and people who work at Miami Children’s Hospital are angels, angels from above, and I highly recommend people come by and just see what it’s all about and what miracles happen there. You can go there and just encourage. Donations are great too.”

Shandel Richardson is editor of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at [email protected]

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X: @ShandelRich