The Heat beat the Pacers 145-125 in an Emirates NBA Cup game, turning an eight-point hole into a 25-point margin. Antetokounmpo's triple-double and Thompson's seven threes set the tone before a five-game Western road trip.
Soft Start, Hard Answer
Indiana won the first quarter 42-36 and still led 54-46 with seven minutes left before half. That is too loose a defensive start, and it should not be waved off because of the final score. The response came fast: a 16-0 run flipped it to 62-54, and an 11-0 burst that carried past the break made it 78-61 early in the third. Miami scored 35 in the third and 42 in the fourth, and the lead reached 25.
The Grades
Antetokounmpo, A. He had 31 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists on 13-19 shooting, with one turnover and a +31 in 31 minutes. That is total control. Adebayo, A-minus: 27 on 11-14, 5-5 at the line, three steals. Thompson, A-minus: 25 in 26 minutes on 7-12 from deep, but zero rebounds is a number he has to fix. Mitchell, B: 11 assists and a team-best +32 in 35 minutes, though his 6-16 shooting keeps it from an A.
Bench Gets Split
The starters scored 110 and the bench 28. Larsson was perfect from the field, 5-5, and went 7-8 at the line for 18, yet he finished at -3. Portis earned a D: 3-7 shooting and the worst mark on the team, -11 in 17 minutes. Hardaway Jr. was -1 in 12. Fontecchio, cleared from his illness on October 30, was among the reserves who finished the game.
Who Closed
Wiggins, Adebayo, Mitchell, Antetokounmpo and Jovic opened the final five minutes, and Gardner, Richards, Conwell, Fontecchio and Jovic were out there for the last whistle. Wiggins earned his minutes with 12 points, two steals, a block and a +25. Indiana's best answer came off its bench: Quenton Jackson scored 24 on 9-13. Siakam shot 5-17 and Nembhard finished at -28.
Bottom Line
Two straight wins move Miami to 2-4, 10th in the East and a game back of the sixth-place Hawks at 3-3. The current pace still projects to 27-55, so nothing is fixed yet. The Lakers come next on November 2, then the Clippers, Warriors, Kings and Jazz, all on the road. Three days off help. Scoring 145 at home against a Pacers roster missing Haliburton, Zubac, Sheppard, Furphy and McConnell proves little until Miami defends like this on the road.
Who led the Heat in the 145-125 win over the Pacers?
Giannis Antetokounmpo had a triple-double with 31 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists. Bam Adebayo added 27 on 11-14 shooting, and Klay Thompson scored 25 with seven threes.
When do the Heat play next?
Miami visits the Lakers on November 2. That game opens a five-game road trip that also includes the Clippers, Warriors, Kings and Jazz.
