Miami Heat 145, Indiana Pacers 125 | October 30, 2026 | NBA Cup
The Miami Heat are finally beginning to find their rhythm.
After opening the season with four consecutive losses, Miami secured its second straight victory Friday night, defeating the Indiana Pacers 145–125 at Kaseya Center.
Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered a dominant triple-double with 31 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists, while Bam Adebayo added 27 points and nine rebounds. Klay Thompson provided a major offensive boost, scoring 25 points while knocking down seven three-pointers.
Indiana actually opened the game with an explosive 42-point first quarter. But Miami responded by taking control of the second quarter and never relinquished its advantage after halftime.
First Quarter: Indiana Explodes for 42 Points
End of Q1: Pacers 42, Heat 36
Miami started quickly, with Adebayo scoring inside before Andrew Wiggins connected from beyond the arc. Thompson followed with a three-pointer, and Giannis added a layup to give the Heat an early 12–5 advantage.
Indiana refused to let Miami settle into a comfortable lead.
Jay Huff provided an immediate offensive spark, scoring around the basket and knocking down two three-pointers during a perfect 4-for-4 opening quarter.
Andrew Nembhard also found his shooting touch early. His three-pointer put Indiana ahead 16–15, and another from deep gave the Pacers a 20–18 advantage.
The teams continued trading baskets, with Giannis attacking the paint and Thompson contributing from midrange.
Indiana’s bench then made its presence felt.
Larry Nance Jr. knocked down a three-pointer to put the Pacers ahead 26–27, and Quenton Jackson added six points during a productive stretch.
Jackson’s steal and layup gave Indiana a 32–27 advantage, while Nance connected on another three-pointer to extend the lead to seven.
Adebayo kept Miami competitive, converting an and-one opportunity and later knocking down a turnaround fadeaway.
However, Indiana finished the quarter ahead 42–36.
The Pacers had scored 42 points in 12 minutes, an excellent offensive start. The question was whether they could maintain that pace.
Second Quarter: Miami Turns the Game Around
Halftime: Heat 68, Pacers 61
Indiana initially maintained its momentum.
Huff opened the quarter with another three-pointer, and Nembhard connected on consecutive shots from beyond the arc to extend the Pacers’ advantage to 51–44.
A Quenton Jackson three-pointer subsequently pushed Indiana ahead 54–46.
At that point, the Pacers appeared to have control of the game.
But Miami’s response changed everything.
Wiggins knocked down a three-pointer, and Giannis began attacking the basket with greater consistency.
Antetokounmpo converted consecutive layups, reducing Indiana’s lead to 54–53.
Davion Mitchell then connected from beyond the arc to put Miami ahead 56–54.
The Heat had erased an eight-point deficit, and Indiana’s offense had suddenly gone cold.
Giannis continued punishing the Pacers inside, converting free throws before scoring a reverse layup that extended Miami’s advantage to 60–54.
Wiggins followed with another basket, forcing Indiana to call timeout.
Nembhard briefly interrupted Miami’s run with a three-pointer, but Thompson answered with a three of his own.
Giannis then added another layup, giving Miami a 67–59 advantage.
Indiana managed a late basket from Nembhard, but the Heat entered halftime leading 68–61.
Miami had outscored Indiana 32–19 in the quarter.
The contrast between the first two periods was striking. Indiana had scored 42 points in the opening quarter but managed only 19 in the second.
Miami’s improved defensive pressure and Giannis’ relentless interior scoring had completely changed the game.
Third Quarter: Klay Thompson Takes Over From Deep
End of Q3: Heat 103, Pacers 88
Miami wasted little time building on its halftime advantage.
Adebayo opened the second half with a dunk off a Mitchell assist, and Giannis followed with an offensive rebound and an and-one putback to extend the lead to 73–61.
After a Pascal Siakam turnover, Adebayo recorded a steal, leading to a Mitchell layup that pushed Miami ahead 75–61.
Indiana called timeout, but the Heat were only getting started.
Thompson knocked down a three-pointer to make it 78–61.
He then connected again from beyond the arc, stretching the lead to 83–65.
Just 13 seconds later, Thompson drilled another three-pointer, putting Miami ahead 86–65.
That was the decisive offensive stretch of the quarter.
Indiana was struggling to contain Miami’s perimeter shooting while simultaneously dealing with Giannis and Adebayo inside.
Adebayo continued contributing, knocking down a pull-up jumper and adding two free throws.
Thompson later hit consecutive three-pointers to push Miami’s lead to 98–75.
The Pacers did produce some late offense through Jarace Walker and Quenton Jackson, with Walker connecting twice from deep.
However, the damage had already been done.
Miami entered the fourth quarter ahead 103–88, having outscored Indiana 35–27 in the third.
Thompson’s shooting had transformed a seven-point halftime lead into a comfortable advantage.
Fourth Quarter: Miami’s Offense Closes the Door
Final: Heat 145, Pacers 125
Indiana still had an opportunity to make things interesting entering the final quarter, but Miami’s offense never allowed the Pacers to generate a sustained comeback.
The Heat poured in another 42 points during the fourth quarter, matching Indiana’s entire first-quarter output.
Indiana scored 37 points of its own, with Quenton Jackson continuing his productive night off the bench.
But the Pacers could not consistently stop Miami.
The Heat continued finding quality scoring opportunities, both around the basket and from the perimeter, as their advantage grew to as many as 25 points.
With the result firmly under control, Miami finished off a 145–125 victory.
The Heat scored 77 points in the second half and 109 over the final three quarters.
Indiana’s 42-point opening quarter had been impressive, but Miami’s offensive consistency ultimately proved far more important.
EST Takeaways: Miami’s Offense Is Beginning to Click
The Heat have now won two consecutive games after beginning the season 0–4, and Friday’s performance offered plenty of reasons for optimism.
Giannis was outstanding, finishing with 31 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists while shooting 13-for-18 from the field.
His ability to attack the basket, dominate the glass and create opportunities for teammates remains the foundation of Miami’s offense.
Adebayo complemented him beautifully, recording 27 points on 11-for-14 shooting.
Thompson’s perimeter production was equally important. His seven three-pointers gave Indiana another major threat to defend, particularly during Miami’s third-quarter surge.
The Heat finished with 38 assists on 54 made field goals, an excellent demonstration of their ball movement.
Miami also shot 59% from the field, scored 64 points in the paint and outrebounded Indiana 51–45.
For the Pacers, there were positives despite the defeat.
Nembhard finished with 22 points and nine assists, while Jackson contributed 24 points off the bench.
However, Pascal Siakam struggled offensively, scoring 13 points on 5-for-17 shooting.
Indiana’s inability to sustain its early offensive success was the biggest issue.
After scoring 42 points in the opening quarter, the Pacers were outscored 109–83 over the remaining three periods.
The Heat improve to 2–4, while Indiana falls to 2–4.
Miami still has work to do after its difficult start to the season, but two consecutive victories suggest this talented roster may finally be finding its chemistry.
Final Score: Miami Heat 145, Indiana Pacers 125.
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