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Donovan Mitchell on Tyler Herro After Heat Win vs. Jazz: 'He Kicked My Ass'
December 24, 2019
Tyler Herro earned the respect of Donovan Mitchell on Monday night.
The Miami Heat rookie first-round guard posted 17 points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal during the team's 107-104 win over Mitchell's Utah Jazz. Mitchell finished with 13 points, seven assists, three rebounds and three steals but gave credit where credit was due afterward.
"He kicked my ass," Mitchell told reporters. "He capitalized on my poor defense. I take credit for that. I'll take the blame for that. It's on me. He kicked my ass on three straight possessions. We'll see him again."
The 19-year-old Kentucky product scored nine fourth-quarter points with six within two minutes late in the fourth, including a roundabout driving layup that featured Mitchell's self-described poor defense:
Mitchell isn't alone in getting torched by Herro this season. Since Miami selected him 13th overall in June, he has quickly developed into a reliable reserve. Herro entered Monday's contest averaging 13.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 28.9 minutes while shooting 37.8 percent from three.
Miami and Utah will play once more this season, Feb. 12 at Utah. This win snapped a five-game winning streak for the 18-12 Jazz and boosted the Heat's overall record to 22-8 with a league-best 13-1 home mark.
