Heat’s Martin ill; no change to Herro’s status

DENVER — Miami Heat guard Caleb Martin missed practice Saturday because of an illness, the team announced.

On top of Martin’s absence, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra didn’t definitively rule out Tyler Herro from Game 2 of the NBA Finals vs. the Denver Nuggets as he continues to recover from a broken right hand. However, Spoelstra did not want to put a timeline on the guard’s return.

Herro, who has been out since breaking the hand in Game 1 of the Heat’s first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, has been doing more in his workouts over the last week as he inches closer to a return.

“The status has not changed yet,” Spoelstra said prior to the Heat’s practice. “I’m not trying to be elusive about that. … All we are focused on right now is his process, continuing to do work and get prepared. Whenever that timeline is, where he’s ready to go, I’ll let you know.”

When asked specifically if he could rule Herro out for Sunday’s game, Spoelstra reiterated his stance.

“We’re doing this game-by-game,” Spoelstra said. “I’ll let you know [Sunday]. The status hasn’t changed. You can read into that.”

As the Heat wait to see how Martin is feeling, and how Herro’s hand responds to more rehab work, the group remains confident that it will respond well after losing Game 1 to the Nuggets. The Heat were calm and confident as they prepared for Saturday’s practice.

“I don’t think too much has to be said,” Heat star Jimmy Butler said. “I really don’t. Down 0-3, up 3-0, you’ve got to get to four. It’s never over. Nobody is ever counted out. You’ve got to get to four. Once you get to four, it’s over with.

“So down 0-1, we know we are going to get to four. We are in there laughing, in there smiling, knowing that we could play better. We will play better. We have to be better if we want to win. Not too much is said. It’s all about what we’re going to do.”

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