Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points and grabbed 17 rebounds with 10 assists, his second triple-double of the season, as the Miami Heat beat the Indiana Pacers 145-125 on Friday night. Bam Adebayo added 27 points, making 11 of 14 shots, and Miami outscored Indiana 67-46 in the second and third quarters.
Klay Thompson had 25 points and seven 3-pointers, his best game since joining the Heat. He is now 55 threes behind former Heat guard Ray Allen for third place on the NBA’s all-time 3-point list.
The Pacers were missing several players. Tyrese Haliburton is out for at least a couple of weeks with a hamstring strain, and Obi Toppin hurt his back before shootaround. Indiana had only 11 available players, and assistant Lloyd Pierce coached in place of Rick Carlisle, who was at his father’s funeral in New York. Quenton Jackson led Indiana with 24 points, and Andrew Nembhard added 22.
The loss leaves Indiana in a tough spot in NBA Cup group play. Teams play four group-stage games, and every team that has reached the knockout round went 4-0 or 3-1 in the opening round.
The Heat, who have won two straight, visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. The Pacers host Brooklyn on Sunday.
