Tyler Herro’s return, Goran Dragic’s resurgence coming at critical time for Heat; Victor Oladipo doesn’t travel to Boston

Tyler Herro’s return and Goran Dragic’s resurgence couldn’t have come at a better time for the Miami Heat.

Herro stepped back onto the floor for the Heat on Friday in their win over the Minnesota Timberwolves after missing their last six games with a sore right foot, scoring 27 points on 10 of 13 shooting from the field in 29 minutes.

He was also absent from the Heat’s home win versus the Houston Rockets on April 19 because of the foot injury.

“It was tough for me to be able to sit and watch,” Herro said, “especially this time of the year.”

Herro, who has missed 18 games this season, expressed excitement about returning to the floor for the Heat (36-31) ahead of their high-stakes matchups against the Boston Celtics (35-32) on Sunday and Tuesday at TD Garden.

“I’m back and healthy,” he said, “and I’m ready to give everything I got for this last stretch here.”

Meanwhile, Dragic has seemingly found a late-season groove, averaging 17.4 points and 4.4 assists over the Heat’s last five games, including scoring 23 versus the Timberwolves.

“When he is healthy and has his legs under him, he’s an All-Star player,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Dragic, who turned 35 on Thursday. “We’ve been trying to manage that all year long. At times, we’ve done a good job with it. At times, there is just no way around it with the schedule. He’s been playing really well of late.”

Dragic and Herro were important players for the Heat during their run to the NBA Finals last season, with Dragic averaging 19.1 points, 4.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds in last year’s playoffs while Herro averaged 16 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

Both were even more critical for the team during its Eastern Conference finals series last playoffs against the Celtics.

Dragic averaged 20.5 points — second-best for the Heat — and 4.7 assists against Boston while Herro averaged 19.2, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting 52.3 percent from the floor during the series.

“When we’re clicking on all cylinders, we’re a hard team to guard,” Bam Adebayo said. “It boosts up our defense. It’s definitely good to see everybody getting touches and making shots.”

And Jimmy Butler likes how the Heat, who have won eight of their last 11 games, have been playing recently with the team getting closer to having their full rotation available with five games left in the regular season.

“We’re getting more healthy and guys are getting more comfortable,” Jimmy Butler said. “You can throw so many different lineups out there to help us win games and so many different defenses. I like where I see us.”

Injury report

Victor Oladipo was the only Heat player who didn’t travel with the team for the two upcoming road games vs. the Celtics.

Andre Iguodala, who traveled to Boston, was the only other player besides Oladipo on the team’s 5:30 p.m. injury report, with the 37-year-old forward listed as questionable for Sunday’s game due to a right quad contusion.

Iguodala recorded five points and three rebounds in 17:26 minutes of action versus the Timberwolves on Friday.

Celtics All-Star guard/forward Jaylen Brown was listed as questionable for Sunday with a right ankle sprain that’s forced him to miss Boston’s last two games. Celtics president Danny Ainge said on Thursday that Brown would “probably” return to the floor vs. the Heat on Sunday. Big man Robert Williams is listed as probable for Sunday with left foot turf toe.

Oladipo’s absence from Sunday’s matchup will be the 16th consecutive game he’s missed due to a sore right knee. He last played in the Heat’s home win against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 8, limping to the team’s locker room after landing awkwardly following a dunk in the fourth quarter of the 110-104 victory.

The Heat have three more regular-season games, and only one more at home, after their matchup against the Celtics on Tuesday:

— versus the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday;

— at the Milwaukee Bucks on May 15;

— at the Detroit Pistons on May 16.