Heat's Bam Adebayo Says He Told Pat Riley to Draft Tyler Herro

Call it a Kentucky Wildcats connection.

"I'm the one that got into Pat's ear to draft him," Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo said of team president Pat Riley's decision to select Tyler Herro in the 2019 NBA draft, per Mark Medina of USA Today.

Adebayo didn't hesitate to take credit following an incredible performance from Herro.

The rookie poured in 37 points off the bench while leading the Heat to a 112-109 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday. Miami is now one win away from the NBA Finals with a 3-1 series lead.

This was not a fluke performance for Herro, either.

He scored 22 points off the bench in Game 3, and ESPN Stats & Info noted he tied Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor for the third-longest streak for a rookie in NBA history with his 13th consecutive playoff game in double figures.

He is six behind Alvan Adams' all-time record of 19.

Herro didn't just get hot in the first half when there wasn't as much pressure. He delivered in crunch time, answering a Boston run that trimmed a 12-point deficit to one with a three and pull-up jumper to start the fourth quarter before throwing in another triple and reverse layup.

Jimmy Butler also found him cutting to the basket for a key layup in the final minutes, and perhaps his biggest moment came when he calmly sank two free throws to extend the lead to five with 13.9 seconds remaining.

One potential concern for the Heat coming into this series was whether they had the top-line talent to match Boston's Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker for up to seven games.

Butler and Adebayo were known contributors, but they likely needed someone else to deliver as a supporting piece outside of Goran Dragic. Herro has done just that, and Miami is a single win away from the NBA Finals as a result.

It's a good thing Adebayo told Riley to draft him.