The saga finally came to a close tonight. Or at least, both sides got a shot at moving past the month-long drama between Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat. Back at the Kaseya Center, the Heat honored their former star with a tribute video—a nod to the memories, even if the split was anything but smooth. But once the ball was tipped, sentiment went out the window.

His former teammates, the ones he was once inseparable from, now stood across from him—locked in, ready to take him down. And boy, did they deliver. With emotions running high, Miami played a near-perfect game and ran all over the Bay, shutting down Butler’s new squad.

They channeled the tense atmosphere in the arena in the right direction. Or maybe they did the exact opposite. Among those two strategies, Tyler Herro chose to treat tonight as another regular season game. “It was my first time playing him but it was a normal game it felt like,” the rising guard said about playing Jimmy Butler.

Butler witnessed Herro’s emphatic ascension within the Heat from the time he was a rookie. In some sort of ways, he took him under his wing. Just a while before he left, Butler called him “one of the best scorers on the team”. But emotions can tend to be a distraction when playing a game filled with polarizing emotions.

So even after settling the score for all that transpired, Herro revealed a surprising fact. When asked whether they spent any time reminiscing about their time together he said “No no no,”. It looks to be a sad ending to what once stood as a strong brotherhood. But if anything, Jimmy Butler might be proud of how Tyler Herro handled the night.

You see, he was the protagonist tonight. Butler watched a tribute video before he entered the game to face off against his former team. To most, glaring over the past would tend to spark some emotions. Jimmy Butler was only “confused a little bit” to start the night. But as far as the video goes he didn’t think “there was a lot of emotions”.

That is a part of the infamous Heat Culture which Tyler Herro now exudes. Players could be close outside the hardwood. But once you step in between the lines, it’s a warfare that Miami is determined to win. He even played a sensational game. Yet, it wasn’t his usual scoring spree. The 25-year-old had to adapt after hearing one name.

Tyler Herro continues to grow

Even when Jimmy Butler was his teammate, Tyler Herro established himself as the scoring behemoth for the Miami Heat. His unrelenting motive to get the ball in the bucket has led to some memorable performances. But over the years he’s also developed maturity. The Heat guard understands that just scoring isn’t a way to impact the game.

It’s still his first instinct. But once he heard Gary Payton II would be starting instead of the injured Stephen Curry, he knew he would have to change the way he plays.

“I forgot they had Gary Payton. I heard before the game that he was starting and I was like oh. But he’s a great defender. I love competing against him but just trying to play the game the right way. Not every night I am going to be able to score 30 or whatever it is. Just trying to impact the game in different way,” Tyler Herro said about his performance.

Because of Payton persistently stalking him, Herro understood he couldn’t demand the ball as much. So in his 20-point night, he only shot the ball 10 times making seven of his shots. He showcased his developments as a facilitator instead compiling seven assists. Herro is also averaging a career-high 5.6 assists this season for the Heat.

Bam Adebayo took charge of being the scoring force, pouring in 27 points in the Heat’s 86-112 dominant victory. With Butler’s departure, the Heat are molding the Herro-Adebayo tandem to become the foundation of a competitive team. And their chemistry bothered the Warriors all night.