NBA
Giannis Antetokounmpo Posts Triple-Double As Heat Beat Pacers 145–125 in NBA Cup
Antetokounmpo finished with 31 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists, recording his second triple-double of the season in 31 minutes.
Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded 31 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists as Miami defeated Indiana 145–125 Friday at Kaseya Center, opening NBA Cup group play with its second consecutive victory.
Antetokounmpo’s second triple-double of the season came in 31 minutes. He made 13 of 19 shots, collected six offensive rebounds and committed only one turnover. His first triple-double had come Monday against Dallas, with 29 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. That earlier triple-double came with five turnovers in a four-point defeat; Friday instead brought similar passing production with better ball security.
Indiana led 42–36 after the first quarter, but Miami won the next two periods by a combined 67–46. The Heat entered the fourth ahead 103–88, having turned an early defensive problem into a comfortable advantage.
Klay Thompson’s shooting helped create that separation. He finished with 25 points and seven three-pointers in 12 attempts. Two consecutive threes midway through the third quarter stretched Miami’s lead from 80–65 to 86–65, with Antetokounmpo assisting the second.
Bam Adebayo supplied 27 points and nine rebounds on 11-of-14 shooting. Davion Mitchell added 15 points and 11 assists, while Pelle Larsson scored 18 without missing a field-goal attempt. Miami had five players reach at least 15 points.
The team statistics show a broader offensive improvement: Miami made 54 of 93 shots, recorded 38 assists and scored 64 points in the paint. The Heat also held a 48–37 rebounding advantage and made 18 three-pointers.
Quenton Jackson scored 24 points off Indiana’s bench, and Andrew Nembhard finished with 22 and nine assists. The Pacers made 17 of 37 threes but could not keep pace after their opening-quarter burst.
Both teams finished the night 2–4. Antetokounmpo followed Wednesday’s 24-point, 18-rebound performance in Atlanta with another game controlling the glass, this time pairing that rebounding production with double-digit assists.
