Giannis Makes His Heat Debut With 7 Assists in 14 Minutes as Miami Beat Raptors in Quebec City
Giannis Antetokounmpo had nine points and seven assists in his first game for Miami as the Heat beat Toronto 129-105 to open the NBA preseason.
The NBA preseason is under way, and its first game gave fans their first look at Giannis Antetokounmpo in a Miami Heat uniform. The two-time MVP had nine points, seven assists and four rebounds in just over 14 minutes as the Heat beat the Toronto Raptors 129-105 on Saturday night at Quebec City's Videotron Centre.
The game was the first NBA Canada Series fixture held at the arena. It was played on Sunday morning, Malaysian time.
A point guard in a big man's body
Antetokounmpo made all three of his shots and spent most of his time setting up teammates. According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, he had three assists in the first 4:44. He pushed the ball at speed and kicked it out to open shooters.
Coach Erik Spoelstra compared his passing to Magic Johnson's with Pat Riley's Lakers. "With the size and the vision and his ability just to put it on the numbers to your shooters is really impressive," Spoelstra said. "We knew that about him. We faced him in the playoffs three times. But when you really see it every day in practice this week, you appreciate how brilliant of a playmaker he can be."
Andrew Wiggins, who scored 12 points on 4-of-6 three-point shooting, put it simply: "Giannis, his gravitational pull, it's crazy."
The box score highlights
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: 9 points (3-of-3), 7 assists, 4 rebounds in 14:07
- Tim Hardaway Jr.: 14 points on 4-of-4 shooting off the bench
- Pelle Larsson: 13 points, including 7-of-7 free throws
- Andrew Wiggins: 12 points
- Bam Adebayo: 10 points and 6 rebounds despite early foul trouble
Miami scored 76 points in the first half, with 19 assists. Spoelstra said the 25 turnovers needed cleaning up but put many of them down to the pace. "There were some good things and there were some things that were a little bit sloppy," he said.
The Heat started Antetokounmpo, Adebayo, Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and Klay Thompson, the same five expected to start on opening night. All 19 available Heat players got minutes.
Raptors still waiting on Kawhi
Toronto played without Kawhi Leonard, who is still getting back into game shape after an uncertain offseason. Canadian RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 15 points, and Scottie Barnes added 11. Raptors HQ noted the team missed its first eight three-point attempts. Rookie Allen Graves and Jamison Battle sat out with minor injuries.
What's next
The Heat hold an intrasquad scrimmage on Tuesday before their preseason home opener against the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday. Their regular season starts on 21 October at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
For fans in Asia, the next big date is the NBA China Games 2026. The Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets play twice at The Venetian Arena in Macao, on Friday 9 October and Sunday 11 October. That means Cooper Flagg against Kevin Durant in the same time zone as Malaysia.
Key takeaways
- Miami beat Toronto 129-105 in the first game of the NBA preseason in Quebec City.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo had 9 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds in his Heat debut, playing only the first half.
- Kawhi Leonard did not play for Toronto. RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 15 points.
- The Mavericks and Rockets play in Macao on 9 and 11 October.
FAQ
How long did Giannis play? 14 minutes and 7 seconds, all in the first half, before Miami rested its regulars.
When does the NBA regular season start for Miami? On 21 October, at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Are there NBA games in Asia this preseason? Yes. The Mavericks and Rockets play in Macao on 9 and 11 October.
Sources: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (via Yahoo Sports), Raptors HQ, USA Today, NBA.com