Houston may not have been operating at full strength, but their unique style still forces opponents to adjust. That gave Miami an opening to experiment with a different approach — and it paid off.
With Norman Powell ruled “week-to-week” due to a groin injury, Tyler Herro returned to the starting lineup. The opening minutes belonged entirely to Houston. Amen Thompson operated comfortably in the mid-range, Alperen Sengun orchestrated from the center spot, and Kevin Durant did what Kevin Durant always does — score efficiently from everywhere. Houston jumped out to a 14–4 lead before Erik Spoelstra called timeout.
From there, everything changed.
Miami began attacking Sengun defensively, frequently using Pelle Larsson — whom Houston had assigned Sengun to guard — as a screener. That alignment allowed the HEAT to force Sengun into space, creating isolation opportunities and quick-hitting three-point looks. The adjustment sparked an immediate turnaround as Miami surged ahead.
The flow of the game hinged heavily on Houston’s lineups. With Durant on the floor drawing attention, the Rockets looked fluid and organized. But without him — and already missing shooting help, including Jabari Smith Jr. — Houston’s spacing issues became glaring. Recognizing that, Spoelstra deployed extended zone coverage, even pairing Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware together in a double-big lineup rarely used for long stretches.
The results were dramatic. Houston struggled to generate clean looks, while Miami’s threes began to fall. Early in the second quarter, the HEAT built a 13-point lead.
That cushion evaporated quickly once Durant returned, joined by Reed Sheppard, Houston’s next-best perimeter threat. The Rockets rediscovered rhythm and stormed back to take a one-point lead into halftime. Houston relies heavily on offensive rebounding to offset its shooting limitations, and although Miami controlled the glass early, a few second-chance opportunities late helped fuel the comeback. It was telling that Durant sat at plus-17 in what was essentially an even game.
The second half followed a similar pattern. Adebayo picked up his third foul early guarding Sengun, but Miami continued to pressure Houston’s center. Sengun soon committed his fourth foul on an offensive charge — a play that sent Andrew Wiggins to the locker room for stitches. Spoelstra returned to zone, daring Houston’s wings to make plays from the middle of the floor. They largely failed to do so.
Durant continued to rescue the Rockets with elite shotmaking, but Herro countered with his floater game, helping Miami carry a two-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Houston opened the final period without Durant, and those minutes loomed large. The game remained tight — Miami sticking with zone — until Durant checked back in midway through. Spoelstra again leaned into the Adebayo-Ware pairing, trusting the length and rebounding presence that had worked earlier.
The closing stretch belonged to Miami’s supporting cast. Larsson and Davion Mitchell delivered key plays, Ware dominated the glass, and with just over three minutes remaining, Wiggins tipped a rebound to himself and converted an and-one in transition to stretch the lead to eight — arguably the biggest sequence of the night.
This time, even Durant couldn’t bail Houston out. Miami swarmed him with multiple defenders, and unlike the HEAT — who had seven players score in double figures — the Rockets couldn’t generate enough offense elsewhere. Miami held on for a 115–110 victory.
Why Miami Won
Two primary factors drove the outcome.
First, Miami relentlessly targeted Sengun. While he finished with 13 points on 14 shots — below his usual production — the greater impact came defensively, where he posted a game-worst minus-18.
Larsson was instrumental in exploiting that matchup. Rather than settling for open threes when Sengun sagged off him, Larsson attacked downhill, repeatedly forcing Sengun to defend in space. Four direct drives against Sengun resulted in four baskets. Miami also frequently used Larsson as a screener to drag Sengun into pick-and-roll coverage, consistently stressing Houston’s defensive rotations.
Larsson finished with 20 points on just 12 shots and drilled a timely fourth-quarter three. Though his plus-minus was modest, his role in dismantling Houston’s defensive plan made him one of the game’s most impactful players.
Second, Houston simply could not function offensively without Durant. The Rockets finished with a 108.2 Offensive Rating while shooting just 25 percent from beyond the arc. When Durant — one of only two Houston players in positive territory while logging significant minutes — sat, the offense stalled almost entirely.
Spoelstra matched those stretches with heavy zone and the Adebayo-Ware frontcourt pairing. The length and paint protection overwhelmed Houston’s non-shooting lineups. Adebayo finished plus-16 with 24 points, while Ware added 13 points, 15 rebounds, and a plus-15 mark. Although Houston grabbed 15 offensive boards, many came late; for most of the night, Miami’s double-big look controlled the glass.
The win doesn’t dramatically shift the standings, but it keeps Miami steady in the No. 8 spot. The HEAT remain two losses behind Orlando and three behind Philadelphia, while maintaining a two-loss cushion over Charlotte and Atlanta below them.
