Giannis Antetokounmpo posted 24 points and 18 rebounds in his first victory with the Heat, as Miami beat the Atlanta Hawks 129-117 on Wednesday night.
Miami had lost its first four games after acquiring Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee in the offseason, so the win ended a 0-4 start.
After the game, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra praised his players for staying positive during the slow start.
“We’ve been able to handle some adversity appropriately,” he said. “Nobody was hanging their heads when they came in the next day. We were all frustrated to the start of the season. This one game is not all we’re looking for. Obviously we’re trying to build something much bigger than that.
“But you have to deal with what happens in this league and not compound it with losing your spirit. And I didn’t sense any of that. It really was about coming together and trying to figure out solutions on how we all can be better. And that was everybody, to a man, the last several days. And that quality I think can serve us well as we continue this long journey of a long season.”
Antetokounmpo and Adebayo deliver milestones
Antetokounmpo raised his season scoring total to 138 points, the most by any Heat player in his first five games with the franchise. It was his 118th career game with at least 20 points and 15 rebounds, the third most in the league since his debut in 2013.
Bam Adebayo became the Heat’s career leader in rebounds, passing Udonis Haslem. Adebayo grabbed nine rebounds on Wednesday to reach 5,794 for his career, one more than Haslem’s 5,791 across his 20 seasons with the club.
“Man, I can’t really put it into words,” Adebayo said in the televised on-court postgame interview, as a member of the Heat staff presented him with the game ball. “The person I’m passing has been so close to me throughout my 10 years in this career, from the time I walked in until now.”
Haslem had held the record since November 2012. He was Miami’s longtime captain, a role Adebayo assumed when Haslem retired.
“It was a really special moment in the locker room,” Spoelstra said, beaming at Adebayo’s accomplishment. “So well deserved. He’s done it with an iron will, a work ethic that’s unmatched. That’s a lot of rebounds in traffic, getting hit, banged in there. To be able to do it and break the record of his brother, UD, that’s a really special moment.”
Heat build a commanding lead
Andrew Wiggins scored 18 points, while Pelle Larsson added 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Miami shot 53% from the field and scored 70 points in the paint.
Miami made 15 of 23 shots in the first quarter (65%) to take a 34-25 lead. The Heat led 69-56 at halftime and built their biggest advantage late in the third quarter, when Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s 3-pointer made it 95-77.