Inside The Heat

Foul Call Could Have Changed Narratives For Miami Heat's Erik Spoelstra, Tyler Herro

Shandel Richardson

Nov 12, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) dribbles defended by Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Nov 12, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) dribbles defended by Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
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They often say most sports are games of inches.

They also say things could have went either way. And let's not forget the missed calls.

The Miami Heat experienced perhaps a referee blunder that could have prevented an ultimate mishap by coach Erik Spoelstra. Fans and media have roasted Spoelstra for calling a timeout he didn't have in the closing seconds of a tie game. It resulted in the Detroit Pistons winning on two free throws.

“I just made a serious mental error there at the end," Spoelstra said. "That’s on me. I feel horrible about it. There’s no excuse for that, I’m 17 years in. We had talked about it in the huddle. I knew we didn’t have anything. I just got emotional and reactive,"

In reality, things may should have never made it to that point. At the end of regulation, the Heat could have put the game away if a foul was called on the Pistons' Jaden Ivey against Herro. As the above video shows, Iven clearly had his hands all over Herro. An 81 percent free throw shooter, Herro likely wins the game from the line.

The narrative then becomes Herro has huge game in victory. Instead, it's Spoelstra mistake spoils Herro's impressive night.

“Great players make bad plays. Great coaches sometimes make a tough decision. It was an intense moment," Herro said. "He won us the game last game…We ride with Spo no matter what.”

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here