Giannis Antetokounmpo's triple-double powers Heat past short-handed Pacers 145-125 in NBA Cup opener

Giannis Antetokounmpo posted his second triple-double of the season and the Miami Heat opened NBA Cup group play with a 145-125 win over the short-handed Indiana Pacers on Friday night, Oct. 30, at Kaseya Center. It was Miami's second straight victory after an 0-4 start and lifted the Heat to 2-4.

Antetokounmpo finished with 31 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists in 31 minutes, according to the ESPN box score; the AP's game story credited him with 17 rebounds. Bam Adebayo added 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting, and Klay Thompson had his best game since joining Miami with 25 points and seven 3-pointers.

How the game turned

Indiana came out hot. The Pacers scored 42 points in the first quarter and led 42-36 after 12 minutes. Miami flipped the game in the middle two periods, outscoring Indiana 67-46 across the second and third quarters, the AP reported. The Pacers managed just 19 points in the second quarter.

By the end of the third quarter, the Heat led 103-88, and the margin reached 25 points at its widest. A crowd of 19,653 watched Miami shoot 58% from the field (54 of 93) and 45% from 3-point range (18 of 40). The Heat scored 64 points in the paint and handed out 38 assists on 54 made baskets.

The quarter-by-quarter scoring:

Leading scorers

Five Heat players scored in double figures, with Pelle Larsson providing a spark off the bench by making all five of his field-goal attempts and 7 of 8 free throws.

Andrew Wiggins added 12 points for Miami. Davion Mitchell's 15 points and 11 assists gave the Heat a second double-double, and Mitchell finished a team-best plus-32. Antetokounmpo was plus-31 in his 31 minutes.

Giannis settles in

The win was another sign that the Heat's blockbuster summer move is starting to work. Miami acquired Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from the Milwaukee Bucks in a trade that sent Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis and a package of draft picks to Milwaukee in a deal that became official on July 6, according to ESPN. Portis chipped in eight points off the bench Friday.

The stakes of the trade extend beyond this season. ESPN has reported that Antetokounmpo is likely to wait until Jan. 6, 2027, to sign an extension, the date he becomes eligible for a four-year, $275 million max deal. Every strong night in a Heat uniform adds to Miami's case for keeping him long term.

Antetokounmpo was efficient throughout, making 13 of 19 shots, and he dominated the glass with six offensive rebounds. Paired with Adebayo, who was nearly perfect from the floor, Miami's frontcourt overwhelmed an Indiana roster that was missing several regulars.

From 0-4 to two straight

Friday's blowout continued a turnaround that began two nights earlier in Atlanta. The Heat lost their first four games after the trade, falling at home to Minnesota 131-106, Detroit 128-111 and Dallas 113-109, with a 115-110 loss at Charlotte in between.

Miami's results so far:

On Wednesday at State Farm Arena, Antetokounmpo had 24 points and 18 rebounds in his first win with Miami, and Adebayo scored 24 while passing Udonis Haslem to become the Heat's career rebounding leader, the AP reported. Miami scored 70 points in the paint that night and followed with 64 more against Indiana, a sign of how the Antetokounmpo and Adebayo pairing is starting to tilt games inside.

Larsson has also been a steady contributor during the two-game run, with 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds in Atlanta before his perfect shooting night against the Pacers.

Thompson closes in on Ray Allen

Thompson's seven 3-pointers came on 12 attempts, and the AP noted that the performance moved him within 55 of former Heat guard Ray Allen, whose 2,973 career 3-pointers rank third in NBA history. Allen made some of the most famous shots in franchise history during his two seasons in Miami, including the corner 3-pointer in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals.

The 25-point night was Thompson's best since arriving in Miami, according to the AP.

Pacers short-handed

Indiana had only 11 available players, the AP reported. Tyrese Haliburton is sidelined for at least a couple of weeks and possibly longer with a hamstring strain, and Obi Toppin was ruled out after his back went out before Friday morning's shootaround, according to acting coach Lloyd Pierce. Pierce was filling in for head coach Rick Carlisle, who was attending his father's funeral in Ogdensburg, New York.

Quenton Jackson led Indiana with 24 points off the bench and Nembhard scored 22. Pascal Siakam and Jay Huff had 13 points each, with Siakam shooting 5 of 17. The Pacers fell to 2-4.

What the NBA Cup result means

Both teams are in East Group B of the NBA Cup, now in its fourth year, along with the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers. Each team plays four group-stage games, and group games count toward the regular-season standings.

The AP noted that every team to reach the knockout round so far has gone either 4-0 or 3-1 in group play, which makes Friday's result an important first step for Miami and a significant setback for Indiana. The tournament's championship game is scheduled for Dec. 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

What's next

The Heat begin a long Western trip on Monday, Nov. 2, at the Los Angeles Lakers, with stops after that against the LA Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz, according to the team's schedule. Miami's next NBA Cup game is at home against Cleveland on Friday, Nov. 13.