Results aside, a record-setting scoring start for Giannis during Heat opening week

By admin — In News — October 24, 2026

   ​MIAMI — Lost in the Heat’s two season-opening home losses was history made by Giannis Antetokounmpo.With his 35 points Wednesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves and 36 on Friday night against the Detroit Pistons, Antetokounmpo became the first player in the franchise’s 39 seasons to score at least 30 in each of the season’s first two games.The previous Heat scoring high over the team’s first two games was the 63 points scored by LeBron James in 2011. The 71 points by Antetokounmpo matched his high for the first two games of any of his 14 seasons.In addition, with those efforts Antetokounmpo became the first Heat player to score at least 35 in consecutive games since Tyler Herro did it in December 2022, with 35 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder and 41 the following game against the Houston Rockets.The paint presence in those two games was undeniable, with 24 points in the paint against the Timberwolves and then 26 in the paint against the Pistons.As a matter of perspective, Antetokounmpo averaged 18.7 points per game in the paint last season, having led the league in paint scoring six times over the past nine seasons (not including last season, when he appeared in only 36 games and did not qualify for the official league leaders).With his 12 rebounds against the Pistons, Antetokounmpo recorded his first Heat double-double and 482nd of his regular-season career, seventh on that list among active players.As would be expected, the numbers hardly mattered to Antetokounmpo after the dual losses.“We had two games in our building that we definitely (were) shocked,” he said, as the Heat turned their attention to Saturday night’s road game against the Hornets at Spectrum Center. “I feel like it kind of raised the level of urgency for everybody.“I have to set the tone. I have to be more urgent. It’s bad, but it’s good because it puts you in a place of shock. Sometimes when good teams compete, you need to be shocked a little bit.”Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the scoring totals eventually will lead to sustained success.“He really cares. He wants this to work. His teammates really want this to work,” Spoelstra said. “We’re going to get there.”A homecomingFormer Heat guard Duncan Robinson said Friday night’s visit did not carry the same emotional weight as when the Pistons played last season at Kaseya Center.After seven seasons with the Heat, Robinson was traded to Detroit on July 7, 2025 in what basically was a salary dump, with the Heat landing the lower salary of Simone Fontecchio in return.“It’s funny,” Robinson said after closing Friday night’s game with 17 points, shooting 5 of 10 on 3-pointers, “last year, I don’t think I had as much sort of control over my emotions coming in here. It was just still very fresh. This year was very different, different feeling, just a peace of where I’m at and the situation I’m in, excited, embracing being with this group. It felt more just like playin  

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