February 28, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) reacts during the fourth quarter of a game against the Miami Heat at the Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images The feisty Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets take on the underachieving Wizards in Washington on Monday night.
Houston, ranked third in the Western Conference, lost 115-105 at Miami on Saturday. In that contest, Durant and Heat star Tyler Herro got into a heated exchange near the Heat bench in the first quarter, resulting in both players receiving technical fouls.
Entering his 18th season, Durant remains one of the NBA’s best talkers and scorers. He leads the Rockets with 26.2 points per game and is shooting 39.9% from 3-point range.
“I think we both needed a ton of energy to get into the game. I looked up to Tyler. He looked up to me. I appreciate his competitiveness and vice versa, but I’m mad that we had the skill.” Durant said with a laugh. “It was just talk. I think it’s a natural part of the game.”
Houston is likely to miss Jabari Smith Jr.’s game against Washington due to an ankle injury. Smith Jr. missed the loss to Miami, leaving a gaping hole in the middle of the Rockets’ defense that Miami exploited.
“They were the tougher team,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “They got to the basket too easily with their heads down and their shoulders against our chests. “(They) got 66 points in the paint and with our individual defense we weren’t strong enough.”
Washington has lost seven of its last nine games and is deep in the Eastern Conference standings. Washington acquired Trae Young and Anthony Davis at the trade deadline, but Davis will definitely miss this season while Young is still sidelined with a knee injury.
The Wizards have also been without 2024 No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr for the past two weeks due to a hamstring injury. Sarr averaged 17.2 points for Washington this season, showing notable improvement in his second season.
Rookie guard Jamir Watkins is eating up minutes for Washington and has scored in double figures in his last seven games, including 10 goals on 4-of-5 shooting in Saturday’s loss to Toronto.
“That’s what you learn about these guys,” Wizards coach Brian Keefe said when asked about Watkins. “We’re seeing what he can do under pressure. I was really impressed with what he did tonight.”
Keefe also praised the recent play of second-year big man Tristan Vukcevic, who has started five of the last six games.
“I think he took a big step forward this year,” Keefe said. “He’s in the top percentile in terms of disrupting the game with steals and blocks. He gets his hands on the ball a lot. Being a big guy helps a lot (on defense) and comes back with rebounds. That shows some of his growth.”
Washington’s main problems have been on the defensive side of the ball, allowing 123 points, the second-most in the NBA. Houston ranked second in the NBA, giving up only 109 points.
Houston has won six straight in the series, including a 135-112 win on Nov. 12. If Houston wins on Monday, it will record its 82nd win in the series.
–Field level media
