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Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat.

Words were exchanged between Tyler Herro and Kevin Durant during Saturday’s key matchup at the Kaseya Center. The Miami Heat got the last laugh after outlasting the Houston Rockets to earn their 32nd win of the season.

With less than six minutes left in the first quarter, Durant turned the ball over after the Heat’s tight defense. KD then began talking a little bit of trash with Herro, who didn’t back down.

Some unpleasant words from Herro made Durant upset, prompting the referees to call a double technical foul. Things simmered down, but the two were still jawing at each other later in the game.

But at the end of the day, Herro and the Heat overcame a 32-point night from Durant. Herro had a solid contribution in Miami’s 115-105 victory, finishing with 18 points, two rebounds and three assists.

Herro Comments on Durant Incident

Speaking to reporters after the win, Herro was asked by Brendan Tobin about what happened between him and Durant. The former Sixth Man of the Year revealed things are alright and their tense exchange was just part of competitive basketball.

“We’re competing at the end of the day,” Herro said. “He was saying I couldn’t guard, then I said something to him. We’re competing at the end of the day. You want to be able to play against the best players in the world and compete like that. That’s what I live for. I love to compete.”

Herro added that there was no real animosity there because he knows Durant personally. He also just wanted to fire up the team at that time because the Rockets were going on a run. It worked since the Heat pulled off the victory in the end.

Durant Responds to Herro

KD shared the same sentiment in his postgame media availability inside the Rockets locker room. Durant acknowledged that he was also just trying to fire himself up in a very close game. He also had nothing but respect for Herro for not backing down.

“I got respect for Tyler,” Durant said. “He has respect for me. Those words, it’s his words at the end of the day. We ain’t do nothing too much. It wasn’t too physical on our end. I appreciate his competitiveness and vice versa. We can move on from there.”

The only thing the two-time NBA champion didn’t like was how the officials reacted. He thought that his exchange with Herro didn’t deserve a technical foul since they weren’t physical against each other.

Herro Looking to Remain Healthy

It has been a tough season for Herro due to multiple injuries. He missed the first 17 games of the campaign after undergoing left ankle surgery. Five games into his season, he suffered a toe injury that kept him out for 13 of the Heat’s next 14 contests.

Herro returned to the lineup on January 6 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played another five games before suffering a different injury. He was diagnosed with a rib contusion and missed another 15 straight games.

The one-time All-Star has now played five straight games once again, so it will be interesting to see if he can stay healthy for the rest of the season.

Juan Paolo David Juan Paolo David is a sports journalist covering basketball for Heavy. He has a decade of experience writing about the NBA and WWE. He’s currently based in the Philippines. More about Juan Paolo David