Antetokounmpo impresses in Heat debut with a near triple-double

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Miami Heat debut was nothing short of spectacular after he recorded a near triple-double in just 14 minutes of action.

In the opening NBA preseason game at Videotron Centre in Québec City, Antetokounmpo led the Heat to a lopsided 129-105 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 4, 2026.

In limited playing time, the former Milwaukee Bucks franchise star tallied nine points, seven assists and four rebounds, marking his arrival as Miami’s new go-to guy alongside Bam Adebayo.

Antetokounmpo never lost a step and showed glimpses of his versatility, setting up Andrew Wiggins and Adebayo for wide-open 3-pointers after drawing multiple defenders on his drives.

Aside from his kick-out dimes, the “Greek Freak” also flaunted his improved reads on ball screens, rifling on-point pocket passes to Adebayo on the roll while swinging the rock to the popping Wiggins for several treys.

From being primarily a scorer in Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo showed a new dimension under Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra, who put him at the point guard position on several plays.

Antetokounmpo shot a perfect 3 of 3 from the field, highlighted by two galloping layups and a sweet-looking turnaround jumper that swelled Miami’s lead to 18 points after the opening frame.

According to Spoelstra, Antetokounmpo’s addition to the Heat will only make them more dangerous, and he lauded the star’s all-around efficiency against the Raptors.

“He makes great plays,” Spoelstra said.

“We knew that about him; we faced him in the playoffs three times. But when you really see it every day, you’ll appreciate how brilliant of a playmaker he can be.”

Leading the Heat in scoring was newly acquired shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr., who put up 14 points on perfect 3-of-3 shooting from downtown.

Wiggins added 12 points, Adebayo contributed 10 points and six boards, while the bench duo of Pelle Larsson and Nikola Jovic chipped in 13 and 11 points, respectively.

Antetokounmpo and the Heat will look to stay unbeaten on Oct. 9, 2026, as they face Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans at Kaseya Center in Florida.