What Tyler Hero ‘loved’ about Kevin Durant’s heated matchup

ByNBAUSA


MIAMI – Ace Miami Heat star Tyler Hero was in a bigger role in a 115-105 win over the Houston Rockets, he would bring energy to the game in addition to shooting and being a playmaker. The Heat guard in Hero and Rockets star Kevin Durant would be in for a hot moment in an exchange of words as both men talked about what happened after the game.

In a Miami win, Hero would be re-inserted into the starting lineup after sitting the last four off the bench after coming off a 15-game layoff with a rib injury. After Norman Powell went out and was labeled “week on Sunday” with a groin sprain, Herro would fill the void and immediately bring energy as he and Durant barked at each other in the first quarter.

It got to the point where, after a timeout, Durant and Hero would exchange more words, to the point where Durant had to be held, and both received technical fouls. The intensity would continue throughout the game, with both men talking to each other, but it would be contagious as the outing was physical.

By the end of the game, Hero and Durant embraced in respect, as the keeper told ClutchPoints after the game it was fair “competition at the end of the day.” Herro would say Durant called his defense.

“He said, ‘I couldn’t guard,’ so I told him something. But, we compete. And at the end of the day, you want to play the best players in the world and compete like that. That’s what I live for, I love to compete,” Hero said after recording 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting from deep.

ClutchPoints would ask what Herro said in response to Durant’s comment:

“Ask Kevin,” Herro said.

Bam Adebayo gives his opinion on the Tyler Herro-Kevin Durant trade

Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) stares down Miami Heat guard Tyler Hero (14) during the second quarter at Kaseya Center.
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

With After the heat, frustrations grow past two consecutive disappointing results, with even captain Bam Adebayo questioning the team’s level of effort, Saturday was a big step in the right direction. Hero would even say he wants to bring an “edge” to Miami.

“Nothing crazy, I know Kev a little bit, just competing. I feel like a team, we didn’t have an edge in Milwaukee or Philly, so I was trying to bring a little edge to it,” Herro said.

“I mean, we won, the team responded,” Herro continued. “So we were down 14-4 at the time, we could only fuel the fire. I feel like we’re at our best when we have guys that are on the edge here.”

Durant would echo the same sentiments as Hero, saying “those words are just words” and how respect goes both ways with him and the Heat star, via video of Brady Hoke, as shown with a hug at the end of the game.

For Adebayo, “competitors are competitors.”

“That’s what you want,” Adebayo said after posting 24 points and 11 rebounds. “I mean, that’s how it becomes when we play pickup. You just don’t see it. You know, it brings out the best in everybody. When you have those types of matchups, you have those types of competitors on the floor, it makes for a great basketball game, and you want to see it like that. You want guys to go at each other and then beat each other, obviously they do.”

Either way, it was a huge win for Miami as the team is 32-29, which puts them in eighth place in the East, as their next two games are against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday and Thursday.





2026-03-01 00:59:00

Similar Posts