The Miami Heat are already off to a better start than expected this season, and they got a key piece back on Monday night.

Tyler Herro made his season debut on Monday in their 106-102 win over the Dallas Mavericks at the Kaseya Center. The 25-year-old shooting guard has missed the entire regular season up until this point recovering from ankle surgery he underwent in September.

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Herro dropped a team-high 24 points and had seven rebounds in the win. He shot 12-of-18 from the field and hit a clutch floater late in the fourth quarter to break a tie with the Mavericks and eventually lift them to the win.

“It felt amazing,” Herro said on the broadcast of his return. “These guys have been having a lot of fun all season. It feels good to just be out here with them, to be part of it, be in the mix a little bit. It was a lot of fun, glad we got the dub.”

Kel’el Ware added 20 points and 18 rebounds, and Bam Adebayo added 16 points.

P.J. Washington led the Mavericks with 27 points and eight rebounds and shot 10-of-20 from the field. Max Christie added 15 points, and Cooper Flagg finished with 12 points and seven rebounds. The Mavericks fell to 5-14 with the loss, which marked their fourth in a five-game stretch.

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Herro’s return comes at a great time for the Heat. The team is now on a five-game win streak, with the first four wins coming against teams over .500. Those wins have come despite the team missing both Nikola Jović and Andrew Wiggins with injuries, too. Jović has missed the past three games. Wiggins has been sidelined for two straight games. Both Jović and Wiggins are considered day-to-day, but did not play on Monday night.

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Despite losing Jimmy Butler last season, the Heat’s offense is better than ever. Entering Monday night, they were leading the NBA with 124.9 points per game.

After showing flashes early in his career, Herro has emerged as a star talent for the Heat. The former No. 13 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Herro spent the first three years of his career as a bench shooter. He took his game to the next level in Year 3, averaging 20.7 points and winning the Sixth Man of the Year award.

Since then, Herro has been a consistent starter for the Heat. After two strong seasons as a starter, Herro found a higher level last season, averaging a career-high 23.9 points and making his first NBA All-Star Game.

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And with his performance on Monday night, he seems to have picked up right where he left off.