October 31, 2026 at 5:04 AM UTC

Postgame Report

Heat Run Past Short-Handed Pacers 145-125 in Cup Opener

By How we produce articles

Giannis Antetokounmpo had a triple-double and Miami turned a first-quarter deficit into a 20-point win over an Indiana team missing Tyrese Haliburton and Ivica Zubac.

The Heat opened their NBA Cup group schedule with a 145-125 win over the Pacers, and the result goes into the group table. Giannis Antetokounmpo handled it without much fuss: 31 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists in 31 minutes. He was done early enough to avoid the late stretch.

The game was Friday night at Kaseya Center, an 8 p.m. tip. Miami came in as a 7.5-point favorite, and the total sat around 236.5 or 237.5 depending on the book. The Heat covered by a wide margin, and the teams combined for 270 points, so the over was never in doubt either.

Both teams arrived with records that needed help, Miami at 1-4 after only just finding its first win, Indiana at 2-3 and coming off two straight losses. The Pacers also played without Haliburton and Zubac, which left them with nobody to discourage Miami at the rim. They still had the better of the opening quarter and led 42-36. Andrew Nembhard finished with 22 points and nine assists, and Quenton Jackson came off the bench for 24.

The game turned in the second quarter, when Miami outscored Indiana 32-19 and never trailed again. The Heat added a 35-27 third, then won the fourth 42-37 to keep the Pacers from making a game of it. Bam Adebayo had 27 points and Klay Thompson 25 in 26 minutes. Davion Mitchell logged a team-high 35 minutes and had 15 points and 11 assists for a double-double.

Sources

All game reports