Giannis nears triple-double as Heat beat Nets 144-128

Giannis Antetokounmpo gave Miami nearly a triple-double, and the Heat kept finding easier shots than Brooklyn could prevent in a 144-128 preseason victory Wednesday at Kaseya Center.

Antetokounmpo finished with 20 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists and three blocks. He made eight of his 10 shots as Miami scored 62 points in the paint, compared with Brooklyn’s 38. The Heat did not need a huge scoring night from one player: nine Miami players reached double figures.

The ESPN box score and play-by-play show how a close game became a comfortable Miami finish. Brooklyn trailed 69-66 at halftime and briefly moved in front in the third quarter. The Nets were still creating enough offense to threaten, with Michael Porter Jr. scoring 27 points and Egor Demin adding 17.

Miami’s response came from the perimeter as well as the rim. Ryan Conwell hit three third-quarter 3-pointers, including a 26-footer off an Antetokounmpo assist with 6:36 remaining that put the Heat ahead 86-84. Klay Thompson and Nick Richards then converted consecutive possessions to help extend the advantage. Miami scored 43 points in the quarter and led 112-103 entering the fourth.

The production spread well beyond the starters. Conwell finished with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-4 from deep. Tim Hardaway Jr. supplied 14 points, Bobby Portis added 12, and Simone Fontecchio made three of his four 3-point attempts for 11. Andrew Wiggins scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds.

Heat writer Couper Moorhead’s account highlighted Antetokounmpo’s defensive work before halftime, including transition and help-side blocks. Miami played without Bam Adebayo, whom the team listed as dealing with groin tightness, and started Richards in his place. Richards contributed 11 points in 16 minutes.

Brooklyn had a useful individual development despite the result. Rookie Mikel Brown Jr. scored 15 points in 18 minutes in his preseason debut, making four of seven shots and two 3-pointers. NetsDaily’s reporting described a managed return after his ankle injury and the difficulty Brooklyn had protecting the basket. That combination left the Nets with an encouraging first look at Brown and an uncomfortable defensive finish.

Brooklyn made 17 3-pointers and converted 27 of 32 free throws, enough offense to keep recovering from Miami’s runs. But the Heat shot 55-of-94 overall, won the rebounding comparison 50-37 and finished with 32 assists. The Nets’ outside shooting could not consistently offset that volume of successful interior possessions.

This was an exhibition, with substitution patterns and experiments still shaping both teams. Miami nevertheless got a sustained look at Antetokounmpo organizing an offense around driving, passing and quick support scoring. Brooklyn’s next task is making its own scoring stretches survive at the other end.

Sources

Official NBA/team game report and record · Independent game reporting · ESPN final game record, full box score and play-by-play