Heat 145, Pacers 125: Miami's middle quarters bury a shorthanded Indiana
Miami outscored Indiana 67-46 across the second and third quarters of an NBA Cup opener in which the Pacers dressed just 11 players.
Miami Heat 145, Indiana Pacers 125 was a game Indiana led after one quarter and lost by 20. The Heat beat the Pacers at Kaseya Center on Friday night, Oct. 30, in the NBA Cup group-play opener for both teams, according to ESPN's recap.
How it unfolded
Indiana started better, taking the first quarter 42-36. The game turned in the middle quarters. Miami won the second 32-19 and the third 35-27, a 67-46 stretch across the two periods, then added a 42-37 fourth to close it out. The Pacers' 19 points in the second quarter were their lowest of any period.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led Miami with 31 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists in 31 minutes, his second triple-double of the season. Bam Adebayo scored 27 on 11-of-14 shooting, and Klay Thompson added 25 points with seven 3-pointers. Pelle Larsson finished with 18, and Davion Mitchell had 15 points and 11 assists.
For Indiana, Quenton Jackson scored 24 and Andrew Nembhard 22. Jarace Walker had 14, and Pascal Siakam and Jay Huff 13 apiece.
ESPN notes Thompson is within 55 3-pointers of Ray Allen, who made 2,973, for third-most in NBA history.
A depleted Pacers roster
Indiana had only 11 players available. Tyrese Haliburton is out at least a couple of weeks with a hamstring strain, and Obi Toppin's back flared up before shootaround, per ESPN. Lloyd Pierce served as acting coach because Rick Carlisle was attending his father's funeral in Ogdensburg, New York.
What it means
Both teams are 2-4. For Miami it is a second straight win, and it improves the Heat to 1-3 at home. For Indiana, ESPN points out that every team that reached the Cup knockout round went 4-0 or 3-1 in the opening round of group play, so a loss in the first game makes the Pacers' path harder.
Indiana hosts Brooklyn on Sunday. Miami visits the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.