With Giannis Antetokounmpo dominating every corner of the court, the Heat got off to the best possible start in the NBA Cup, defeating the Pacers by an impressive 145-125 and securing their second consecutive victory.
The “Greek Freak” put on one of his most complete performances of the season and recorded his second triple-double, finishing the game with 31 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists in 31:04 of playing time.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Giannis shot 13-for-19 (68.4%), 1-for-2 from three-point range, and 4-for-6 from the free-throw line, while six of his 18 rebounds were offensive and 12 were defensive. He also added one block, committed just one turnover, was charged with three fouls, and finished the game with an impressive +31 in the plus-minus rating.
By his side was Bam Adebayo, who continued his outstanding performances with 27 points and 9 rebounds, shooting 11-for-14. Klay Thompson also had a big night, delivering his best performance since joining Miami, scoring 25 points on seven three-pointers.
Thompson also closed in even further on Ray Allen, as he is now just 55 made three-pointers away from the 2,973 made by the former Heat star, who ranks third on the NBA’s all-time list.
Pele Larson and Davion Mitchell also made significant contributions. Larson added 18 points, while Mitchell finished with a double-double, recording 15 points and 11 assists.
The Pacers came out strong and scored 42 points in the first quarter, but Miami then dramatically stepped up its performance. The Heat won the middle two quarters with a combined score of 67-46, gradually taking complete control.
For Indiana, which had only 11 available players, Quenton Jackson was the leading scorer with 24 points, followed by Andrew Nebhard with 22. Jaras Walker had 14, while Pascal Siakam and Jay Huff each scored 13.
The results:
Wizards-Hornets 95-79
Celtics-Bulls 125-111
Nets-Pistons 94-110
76ers-Knicks 98-93
Raptors vs. Magic 114-121
Mavericks-Rockets 116-111
Heat vs. Pacers 145-125
Timberwolves vs. Clippers 127-101
Warriors vs. Lakers 112-95
Suns-Nuggets 120-127
*Photo source: AP
