MIAMI — Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered a 31-point triple-double and the Miami Heat turned an early deficit into a rout, beating the short-handed Indiana Pacers 145-125 on Friday night, October 30, 2026, in both teams' opener in Emirates NBA Cup group play at Kaseya Center. The win was Miami's second straight after an 0-4 start to the season, and its first home win of the campaign, while Indiana fell to 2-4 and opened its NBA Cup account with a defeat in East Group B.
Antetokounmpo finished with 31 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists in just 31 minutes, shooting 13 of 18 from the field with only one turnover, according to the game reports. It was his second triple-double of the young season, and his second in his last three games, and it came against a Pacers side that had only 11 available players, including just eight on standard contracts, because of injuries.
Indiana started hot. The Pacers, fuelled by early 3-point shooting, led 42-36 after the first quarter. Andrew Nembhard, Jay Huff and Larry Nance Jr. each hit two 3-pointers in the opening period, and Quenton Jackson's 3-pointer pushed Indiana's lead to eight points with 7:21 left in the first half.
Miami then took the game over. The Heat closed the first half on a 22-7 run to lead 68-61 at the break, with Antetokounmpo and Nembhard each on 17 points at half-time. Antetokounmpo had already collected 10 rebounds by the interval, and Adebayo, with 15 first-half points, had begun to punish Indiana through the middle of the floor.
The third quarter settled it. Miami opened the second half on a 10-0 run and moved ahead 78-61 on Thompson's third 3-pointer. Kelly Oubre Jr. briefly stopped the run with a layup, but Thompson answered with consecutive 3-pointers to stretch the lead to 21 with 6:34 left in the third. Two more Thompson 3-pointers followed, and Bobby Portis Jr. connected from deep to make it 103-82. Indiana scored the last six points of the quarter, but still trailed by 15 entering the fourth, and Miami outscored the Pacers 42-37 in the final period to seal a 20-point win.
Miami made 12 of its first 15 field-goal attempts and took a 27-23 lead on an Antetokounmpo three-point play with 5:29 left in the first quarter, a sign of the efficiency that would define the night. The Heat finished with six players in double figures: Antetokounmpo (31), Adebayo (27), Thompson (25), Pelle Larsson (18 off the bench on 5-of-5 shooting), Davion Mitchell (15 points and 11 assists) and Andrew Wiggins (12).
For Indiana, Jackson led the way with 24 points off the bench, followed by Nembhard with 22 points and nine assists and reserve Jarace Walker with 14. Pascal Siakam and Huff each scored 13, and Oubre added 10, but the Pacers could not match Miami's size, depth or second-half shooting once the Heat's stars found their rhythm.
The result continued a sharp turnaround for Miami. The Heat lost their first four games of the season before winning their next game for their first victory of the season. Friday's win made it two in a row and, just as importantly, gave Miami a winning start in the NBA Cup, the league's in-season tournament, which is now in its fourth year.
Group play matters because only the group winners, plus one wild card from each conference, advance to the knockout rounds. East Group B is regarded as the most loaded of the groups, so an opening win — and a 20-point margin that could matter in tiebreakers — is a valuable early asset for Miami. For Indiana, the defeat means an uphill climb from the first game, with little margin for error in the remaining group fixtures.
Indiana's predicament is compounded by injuries. The Pacers dressed only 11 players on Friday, eight of them on standard contracts, and they were eventually overwhelmed by Miami's veterans. That context does not diminish Miami's performance — the Heat still had to execute, and their 67-46 edge across the second and third quarters showed a team imposing itself — but it explains why the game swung so decisively once Miami's defence tightened and its stars attacked the paint.
Antetokounmpo's move to Miami has been one of the defining stories of the early season, and his first weeks have mixed individual brilliance with team frustration. A second triple-double of the season, achieved in only 31 minutes and on 13-of-18 shooting, underlined how quickly he can bend a game, particularly when Adebayo draws attention beside him and shooters like Thompson space the floor around them.
The focus keyword of this game is simple: the Giannis triple-double. Antetokounmpo reached half-time with 17 points and 10 rebounds, then completed the triple-double with his passing in the second half, finishing with 10 assists against a single turnover. He shot 87.5 per cent from the field in the first half, according to one game report, and his dominance at the rim on both ends of the floor forced Indiana to collapse its defence — which in turn freed Adebayo, who shot 11 of 14, and Thompson, who shot 7 of 12 from 3-point range.
Thompson's night deserves its own mention. After a slow shooting start to the season, he scored 15 of his 25 points in the third quarter, including five 3-pointers in the period, and finished 9 of 14 from the field. Reports noted it was his best game since joining Miami, and that he is now within 55 of matching former Heat guard Ray Allen's 2,973 career 3-pointers for third-most in NBA history. For a player whose shooting gravity changes how defences guard Antetokounmpo, a night like this is about more than one box score.
Adebayo, meanwhile, was the game's quiet engine: 27 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three steals, with 15 points in the first half as Miami steadied itself after Indiana's hot start. Mitchell's 15 points and 11 assists gave Miami a second playmaker, and Larsson's perfect 5-of-5 night off the bench (18 points) showed the depth that separated the teams as the game wore on.
The reporting on the game focused less on post-game soundbites and more on what the numbers said. The Associated Press framed it as Antetokounmpo's second triple-double of the season and Thompson's best game since joining Miami, while the Indianapolis Star's account stressed that the short-handed Pacers were eventually overwhelmed by Miami's veterans after a hot start. Field Level Media's report highlighted the same turning point: a 10-0 run to open the third quarter, Thompson's barrage, and a 21-point lead before the midway mark of the period.
The wider reaction, in the game reports, centred on the standings rather than any single remark. Miami's second straight win, after an 0-4 start, was presented as evidence that the Heat's new core is beginning to click; Indiana's third straight defeat, and its 0-1 group record, was presented as a warning that the Pacers' injury problems could cost them a realistic path out of East Group B. No post-game quotes from either locker room were carried in the reports read for this article, so this section records the reported interpretation rather than inventing any.
For Miami, this was a statement about identity. An 0-4 start had raised questions about whether a team built around Antetokounmpo, Adebayo and Thompson could defend and share the ball well enough to win consistently. Two straight wins, a first home win, and a 20-point NBA Cup victory built on paint dominance (64-50), rebounding (47-37) and efficient shooting answer at least the short-term version of that question. The Heat now have a platform: a winning record in group play, momentum, and a star playing at an MVP level in limited minutes.
For Indiana, the concern is structural. A team that can score 42 points in a first quarter and still lose by 20 is a team whose depth and defence are not holding up over 48 minutes, and with only 11 available players, there is no easy fix until bodies return. Falling to 0-1 in the toughest group makes every remaining Cup game close to a must-win, and a third straight defeat overall dents the early-season confidence of a young roster.
For the wider NBA Cup picture, the result also matters for tiebreakers and seeding. A 20-point group win is a strong early marker, and Miami's ability to win the middle quarters by 21 points shows a team that can close games rather than merely start them. If Thompson's shooting has genuinely turned a corner, Miami's ceiling rises considerably, because a reliable third scorer changes the geometry of every Antetokounmpo drive.
Both teams return to league action quickly. The Pacers host the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, a game Indiana will target as a chance to stop a three-game losing run and steady its season before its next Cup fixture. The Heat visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, a high-profile road test that will show whether two straight wins were the start of a run or simply a good weekend at home.
In NBA Cup terms, Miami will look to protect its 1-0 group record and build its points differential, while Indiana must win its next group game to keep a realistic route to the knockout rounds. Antetokounmpo's form will be watched closely: a third triple-double in four games would confirm that his early-season numbers are not a hot streak but the level at which he is now playing.
What was the final score of Heat vs Pacers on October 30, 2026?
Miami Heat beat the Indiana Pacers 145-125 at Kaseya Center in Miami in both teams' Emirates NBA Cup group opener.
What were Giannis Antetokounmpo's stats?
Antetokounmpo recorded 31 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists in 31 minutes, shooting 13 of 18 from the field. It was his second triple-double of the season.
Who else starred for Miami?
Bam Adebayo scored 27 points with nine rebounds, Klay Thompson scored 25 points with seven 3-pointers, Pelle Larsson added 18 off the bench, and Davion Mitchell had 15 points and 11 assists.
What are the teams' records now?
Both teams are 2-4 overall. In NBA Cup East Group B, Miami is 1-0 and Indiana is 0-1.
Who do the teams play next?
Indiana hosts Brooklyn on Sunday, while Miami visits the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.
Related NBA coverage on US News Pulse: Thunder beat Suns 125-114 as Mitchell's career-high 30 keeps OKC perfect at 4-0, Stephen Curry's perfect night powers Warriors past Nuggets 134-114 and Thunder injuries: Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace face surgery after win.
Leave a Comment
| Today's Date:
