Rookie Tyler Herro catches fire and carries Heat to overtime win against Bulls in Miami

The play became routine in the final minutes Sunday. Jimmy Butler initiated offense for the Miami Heat, like he so often does, and Tyler Herro hunted out a patch of open space on the perimeter.

The duo ran the action once right at the end of regulation, with Herro setting a screen to free up Butler and Butler finding Herro for a catch-and-shoot three-pointer with 7.1 seconds to go to guarantee overtime. They kept running it in the extra period, the final time out a scramble situation, which ended with Butler finding Herro for another three. It gave the Heat a three-point lead with 38.2 seconds left and it was the cushion Miami needed to beat the Chicago Bulls, 1110-105, at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Herro didn’t score at all in the third quarter. He didn’t score at all in the first quarter. He did, however, score nine in the second to lift the Heat out of an early 11-point hole, and then he erupted for 18 combined points in the fourth quarter and overtime to keep Miami (17-6) perfect at home.

Herro finished with 27 points on 10-of-22 shooting. The rookie wing went 5 of 11 from three-point range and three of those were three of the biggest shots of the game. His three with 7.1 seconds left put the Heat up 97-95 and let Miami withstand a pair of free throws by guard Zach LaVine to get to overtime. The Bulls (8-16) immediately jumped out to a lead in overtime before Herro hit another three off an assist by Butler to tie the game at 102-102 with 2:52 to go. With 38.2 seconds left, he hit the game-winning shot to keep the Heat unbeaten against teams with losing records.

Miami needed every drop of his offensive energy Sunday. The Heat shot just 41.6 percent from the field and 31.4 percent from three-point range. Butler went just 3 of 14 from the field, although he still scored 23 because of 21 free-throw attempts. Post player Bam Adebayo committed a career-worst seven turnovers to mire a 21-point performance. Point guards Goran Dragic and Justise Winslow both sat out because of injuries.

None of it mattered because Herro, 19, was perfect when Miami needed him to be.

Injury update

Justise Winslow’s strained lower back kept him out for a second consecutive game Sunday against the Bulls.

The Heat forward has missed 13 games because of various injuries this season, with nine of those absences coming because of a concussion. Winslow is averaging 12.4 points on 39.4 percent shooting, 7.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 10 games this season.

The Heat did have center Bam Adebayo on Sunday, though. Despite being listed as questionable with a right groin contusion suffered in Friday’s win over the Wizards, Adebayo suited up against the Bulls.

The Heat remained without guards Goran Dragic (strained right groin) and Dion Waiters (sick), and forward KZ Okpala (strained left Achilles) on Sunday.

Dragic missed his fourth consecutive game with his injury, which he suffered in the Heat’s road win over the Nets on Dec. 1. Meanwhile, Waiters, who has yet to play this season, has been unavailable for two consecutive games because of an illness that isn’t considered long term.

Okpala’s Achilles injury has forced him to miss 19 consecutive games, but Spoelstra said recently the rookie is nearing a return. The Heat’s plan is to send Okpala to its G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, when he’s healthy to get him game experience.

The Bulls were without center Cristiano Felicio (fractured right wrist), forward Chandler Hutchison (sprained right shoulder) and forward Otto Porter Jr. (bone bruise on left foot) for Sunday’s game against the Heat.