Warm up Tyler Herro in surgery, likely until the NBA Finals

MILWAUKEE (AP) Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro says he will undergo surgery on his broken right hand Friday and likely won’t return this season unless his team wins the Eastern Conference championship.

Herro said on Tuesday that the injury will require four to six weeks of recovery. The conference finals begin in mid-May and the first game of the NBA Finals is June 1st.

Herro said the extent of his rehab likely meant he could return closer to the NBA Finals instead of the conference finals.

That is hope, said the Lord. Make it to the finals and I can get back to it.

Herro injured his hand Sunday diving for a loose ball late in the second quarter of the Heat’s 130-117 win over the top seed Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. Game 2 is Wednesday in Milwaukee.

“I watched the video and I still don’t know where I hit my hand,” said Herro, a Wisconsin native who graduated from Whitnall High School in the Milwaukee suburb of Greenfield. I still don’t know. I probably shouldn’t have taken it, but I tried to create energy. We were on the road, in my hometown. I’m just trying to play hard.

Herros’ injury leaves the Heat without their third leading scorer behind Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Herro averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists during the regular season.

Being in the playoffs, you work so hard all year to be in this moment,” Herro said. I feel like I had some things to prove this season. It was a difficult moment. I still can’t believe it.