Giannis Antetokounmpo leads Miami past Atlanta in 129-117 rout

Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded 24 points and 18 rebounds as the Miami Heat defeated the Atlanta Hawks 129-117 on Wednesday night. It marked the first win for Miami since acquiring Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee in the offseason. The Heat had lost their first four games following the trade.

The team built its advantage early. Miami made 15 of its first 23 field goal attempts, shooting 65% in the first quarter. That performance gave them a 34-25 lead. The Heat extended the margin to 69-56 at the halftime break. Tim Hardaway Jr. hit a three-pointer late in the third quarter to push the lead to 95-77, the largest of the game.

Bam Adebayo matched Antetokounmpo's scoring with 24 points and added nine rebounds. Andrew Wiggins contributed 18 points. Pelle Larsson finished with 17 points, eight assists, and six rebounds. The Heat shot 53% from the field and scored 70 points in the paint. Hardaway Jr. added 14 points off the bench.

The Hawks faced a tough schedule as they played the first leg of a home back-to-back. Their start against Cleveland on Thursday was delayed by one hour to allow the WNBA Finals to use the arena earlier in the day. Rookie Kingston Flemings and Nickeil Alexander-Walker each scored 23 points for Atlanta. Jalen Johnson had 12 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds while shooting 4 for 12.

The Hawks have lost three consecutive games after winning their first two of the season. They host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday. The Heat travel to host the Indiana Pacers on Friday.