The Miami Heat secured a hard-fought 104-100 victory against the Houston Rockets on Sunday night, with Tyler Herro leading the way with 27 points before a heated altercation in the final moments led to seven ejections.

Herro’s pivotal jumper with 1:56 left gave Miami the lead for good, capping a game where the Heat outscored Houston 19-8 in the final 8:10. The decisive stretch saw Houston miss 11 straight shots, allowing Miami to erase a seven-point deficit.

The tension boiled over with 35 seconds remaining after Houston’s Amen Thompson threw Herro to the ground. Players and coaches from both benches rushed onto the court, resulting in ejections for Herro, Thompson, Jalen Green, Rockets coach Ime Udoka, assistant coach Ben Sullivan, and Heat guard Terry Rozier. Fred VanVleet was also ejected moments later after making contact with referee Marc Davis during an argument over a 5-second violation.

Nikola Jovic provided crucial support for Miami, contributing 18 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Haywood Highsmith added 15 points, including a game-tying three-pointer midway through the fourth quarter. The Heat were without Jimmy Butler for a fifth consecutive game but managed to overcome the absence with contributions across the board.

On the Rockets’ side, Dillon Brooks returned from injury with a team-high 22 points, while Alperen Sengun dominated the boards with 18 rebounds. Houston’s offense faltered in the fourth quarter, shooting just 6-for-24 from the field and failing to capitalize on a 15-point lead.

Jovic’s late three-pointer with 47 seconds left extended Miami’s lead to 98-94, sealing the momentum shift. The Heat also outperformed the Rockets, the league’s top offensive rebounding team, in second-chance points with a 15-9 advantage.

Despite their struggles, the Rockets showed resilience, with Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green combining for 35 points.

Miami improved to 16-14, holding onto the victory despite playing the second night of a back-to-back. Meanwhile, Houston dropped to 21-11, with their offensive inconsistency in clutch moments continuing to raise concerns.