Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 35 points in his Miami debut, but the new-look Heat fell 131-106 to the Minnesota Timberwolves on opening night, and he named trust as the primary area that needs improvement.
“We got to trust each other. When things don’t go our way, we got to dig in. We didn’t do that tonight,” Antetokounmpo said. “Our effort has to be better. It starts with me. My effort has to be better. I set the tone.”
Edwards and Ball Get Hot From Deep
The lack of trust and waning effort showed Wednesday night after the Timberwolves’ new duo of Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball got hot from 3-point range.
Edwards finished with 45 points on 9-of-17 shooting from 3. Ball added 21 points on 5-of-13 shooting from beyond the arc. Minnesota hit 21 3s as a team, many of them from very deep.
“They have two players that can make shots that make your spirit get defeated. You got to keep playing through that,” Antetokounmpo said, referring to Edwards and Ball. “When [Edwards] made shots, we got discouraged and the game got easier for them. When guys get going, we have to be more physical with them.”
Antetokounmpo Wants More
Antetokounmpo played a strong individual offensive game, showing aggression by getting to the free throw line 14 times. He still wasn’t satisfied with his performance.
He mentioned the word “trust” at least five times in his postgame locker room session with reporters. The Heat’s starting group had only two preseason games together because fellow star Bam Adebayo was limited by a minor groin injury.
Shotmaking and Rebounding Concerns
The Heat’s lack of shotmaking from their supporting players is one worrisome theme to watch. They shot just 24% from 3-point range. The smaller, athletic Timberwolves also outrebounded the Heat 52-34, including a humbling 17-4 edge on the offensive boards.
“This is steppingstone for us. When we get fatigued, we cannot get bored with our offense,” Adebayo said. “We’re a bigger team now. We got to take care of big muscle areas. We got to swarm on defense.”
Multiple players said the Heat weren’t vocal enough and didn’t talk or communicate much. That has been a focus all training camp as the team added several new veterans, including Antetokounmpo, Klay Thompson and Bobby Portis, to an existing core led by Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell.
“We got to be better. We got to trust each other more,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s just one game. But this is completely different offense and defense than we showed in preseason.”
Fans Buzz for the Debut
Heat fans were buzzing for Antetokounmpo’s debut. He is the biggest star Miami has landed since the big three era. Fans stayed active even late in the fourth quarter, when the outcome was decided.
Within the first few minutes, fans chanted “MVP” after an early Antetokounmpo bucket. When he began warming up on the court two hours before the game, hundreds of fans were already in attendance. Many stood with cellphones in hand, recorded his dribbles and layups, and yelled whenever he made a jumper.
The Heat host the Detroit Pistons on Friday in a bounce-back opportunity.