MIAMI – The two best players on the planet are ready to go head-to-head.
LeBron James and Kevin Durant will meet for the only time during the regular season at the American Airlines Arena on Wednesday night.
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The two top players in the league could meet again in the Finals the way that both are playing.
Durant said Wednesday, "To be honest, I'm going to be real, I don't go in every day when I go to the gym and work on my game, I don't have a picture of LeBron when I'm working. It's all about trying to get better for me. I know how I feel about myself, I have confidence in myself. I want to compete against the best, I want to prove myself against the best. I don't go into the gym every time I step on the court and think about LeBron James and how I can outdo him."
LeBron showed respect for Durant on Tuesday, "When you're in a zone like he's in, it doesn't matter how much film you watch. You just try to make it tough on him... He's going to make shots, he's going to make contested shots."
Heat forward Shane Battier described trying to cover Durant, "I don't think 'want' is the right word. Will I get switched off him every now and then? Yes. But that's more of an unfortunate circumstance."
Chris Bosh tried to measure his praise on Wednesday "He can score. I never believe in giving guys too many compliments because I don't play with him. I mean, he scores."
The Heat and Thunder tip off at 7 p.m.