Heat’s Tyler Hero wasn’t cleared to get back from his broken hand

Herro is going through all the necessary steps, Spoelstra said after Thursday’s practice, but was unable to get past the final hurdle with Game 4 scheduled for Friday night.

“That’s just part of the process,” Spoelstra said. “You have to go through phases. The first part was just shooting, then movement, then contact with coaches, and then the next level of contact in practice.”

The Heat trails the Denver Nuggets 2-1 in a best-of-seven series.

Hero, who broke his hand during the quarterfinals of Game 1 of the quarterfinals against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 16, has been ramping up his training for more than a week.

“He’s obviously been great at what we’ve done all year,” Heat star Jimmy Butler said. “But I think his spirits are really high. He’s doing everything he can to come back and help. I don’t know where he is in the process, but I see him working. I see him smiling. I see him around the guys, which is good for him and better for us.”

“We want him to compete with us abroad. We always have. We always will. But when he’s ready, he’ll come back, and he’ll be better than ever.”