Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro led Heat take down Kevin Durant and Rockets

The Miami Heat had an afternoon game against the Houston Rockets on Saturday, as Kevin Durant and company came to town.

Things got chippy out the gate, as Tyler Herro and Kevin Durant were jawing for much of that first quarter.

It all heated up from there, as the added energy sparked a late first quarter and early second quarter run, as Miami got out to a double digit lead.

Houston took a one point lead by half, but Miami scrapped their way through that second half with scoring runs and enough defensive limitation to hold off Durant and the Rockets.

Let's get into some takeaways from this one:

1. The first half run starter.

Feb 28, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) dribbles the basketball against Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins (22) during the first quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

It all started with a random Bam Adebayo double team with Tyler Herro defending Kevin Durant. Herro and KD began going back and forth, and it lingered before and after the timeout. From that point on in the first half, it sort of jolted Miami into the game, after trailing 14-4 to start. The defensive activity grew, the Heat's offensive pace increased, and the physicality was there the entire time. Miami led by 13 at one point in that first half, although they trailed by 1 by halftime. One of the more entertaining halves of basketball for the Heat this season.

2. The attacking Jaime Jaquez Jr and Bam Adebayo.

Feb 28, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) argues with Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) during the first quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

As the Heat begin this Norman Powell-less stretch of the season, the offense turns to Herro to step into Powell's early season role. But the real usage risers will be Jaime Jaquez Jr and Bam Adebayo. That was seen in that first half, as Jaquez Jr did a good job of attacking the basket and finishing through traffic in a match-up that usually isn't his favorite. Scoring against length is his next big step, and he was crafty in that area to provide really good minutes with that second unit. Adebayo is in a similar boat. Against this type of size, it means he has the foot speed advantage often, as he attacked his way to 12 points by the mid-way mark, which led the team in scoring. Per usual, his three ball makes a return in the second half after setting that tone.

3. The Tyler Herro floater third quarter.

Feb 20, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) shoots against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Tyler Herro against teams with size is always an interesting match-up to navigate. Limited isolations, pick and roll basketball, and not a ton of at the rim attempts. But the counter to that defensive length was seen from him in that third quarter. After an 8 point first half, he heated up in that third quarter as he spammed that floater into a positive offensive stretch. He had 10 points in that third quarter on all middle of the floor launch pad push shots. It's been in his bag for years, but it just continues to develop as a real counter to the ways teams defend him out on the perimeter.