Antetokounmpo Dominates Again, Miami Heat Fall 0-2 to Start the Season

MIAMI, Fla. – In an attempt to bounce back from a disappointing Opening Night, the Miami Heat followed with a second consecutive loss to start the season, following a 128-111 outing against the Detroit Pistons at the Kaseya Center on Friday night.

Despite another remarkable performance by superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, it wasn’t enough to overcome the early struggles. He finished with 36 points on 57.7 percent shooting, 12 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block in 33 minutes.

The Heat trailed 22-8 at one point in the first quarter as the Pistons made three consecutive shots from behind the arc from the tip. While the offense struggled, Bam Adebayo was in a massive slump. After going scoreless in the first quarter, he didn’t play in the second.

It’s a testament to head coach Erik Spoelstra looking for answers to find the Heat any sort of new life.

Adebayo finished with just four points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 23 minutes. The last time he finished a game in single-digit scoring was last season, on April 7, against the Toronto Raptors. Usually, when Adebayo is struggling offensively, he finds other ways to impact the game, but that wasn’t the case this time, committing six fouls.

It was another tough-shooting night for the Heat from behind the arc, making just 15 threes on 51 attempts (29.4 percent). With a superstar of Antetokounmpo’s playstyle, that’s a critical factor for finding success. Davion Mitchell, Bobby Portis Jr., Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Jovic, Pelle Larsson, and Klay Thompson combined for 10 three-pointers on 36 attempts (27.8 percent).

The Heat had just three players score double figures; meanwhile, the Pistons had six with greater efficiency. Veteran center Paul Reed had a double-double off the bench: 19 points on 72.7 percent shooting, 11 rebounds, and four assists in 26 minutes. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham didn’t have a great game, but he impacted the win. The 25-year-old finished with just 16 points on 62.5 percent shooting, two rebounds, eight assists, a steal, and three blocks in 30 minutes.

It might not be All-Star numbers, but it led the Pistons to a 2-0 start to the season.

As the saying goes in sports, “The hardest win to get is the first one.” The Heat will travel on the second night of a back-to-back to Charlotte (NC) and face the Hornets, who are coming off a 128-81 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

The Heat have the pieces to contend, but without the results to back it up, potential becomes worthless in the league. In less than 24 hours, a new opportunity for the first win of the season presents itself.

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