Miami Heat HC Erik Spoelstra highlights ‘monster’ Giannis Antetokounmpo’s impact in first win
· Yahoo Sports
Giannis Antetokounmpo got his first win as a member of the Miami Heat on Wednesday, and his head coach has praised how he helped make it happen.
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The Miami Heat had a horrible start to the 2026-27 campaign, going 0-4 despite their new-look roster. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s move to South Beach looked like it was in big trouble, but they have now somewhat corrected course by getting their first win of the season.
The Heat beat the Atlanta Hawks 129-117 in a hotly contested clash, taking a lead in the first quarter and seeing it through to the end. Bam Adebayo and Giannis combined for 48 points, while Andrew Wiggins, Pelle Larson, and Tim Hardaway Jr. also made some big contributions. After the game, Erik Spoelstra had some praise for his new superstar.
Erik Spoelstra claims Giannis Antetokounmpo played a ‘smart game’ against Atlanta
Giannis had 24 points, to go along with a whopping 18 rebounds and three assists. He claimed a steal and a block as well, getting his points quite efficiently during the game. The Greek Freak took only two more shots than Bam, and only six more than two of the closest role-players.
Talking to the press having secured their win, Coach Spo had some kind words for the 31-year-old and the role he played against the Hawks.
“Giannis will have bigger nights than this offensively. But I thought he really played a smart game,” Spoelstra said. Allowing the other guys to really have an impact and he asserted himself when he felt like he needed to. He was a monster on the glass. On both ends. It just seemed like whenever there needed to be a momentum play, he had his fingerprints on it at key points in the game.”
This is high praise for Antetokounmpo from his coach. While he can certainly score more points than this, he ideally shouldn’t have to. If Miami can continue playing cohesively with Adebayo also putting up strong numbers, then the sky is the limit for what they can achieve.
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