Giannis Antetokounmpo Delivers 34 Points and an American Football Assist as Miami Heat Defeat Detroit Pistons

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and delivered an American football-style assist on Saturday night to lead the Miami Heat to a 137-117 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Antetokounmpo nearly recorded a triple-double by adding eight assists to his 14 rebounds.

Antetokounmpo capped off a productive 48-hour stretch in which he totaled 71 points across two games, following a 37-point performance in a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night, according to ESPN Argentina.

The victory improved Miami’s record to 6-6, making them just the fourth team in the last 25 seasons to start a campaign 0-4 and claw back to a winning record by their 13th game. This also marked Miami’s seventh win in their last nine games.

Long snapper assist highlights standout performance

The defining moment of the contest occurred roughly two minutes into the first quarter when Antetokounmpo scrambled for a loose ball on the floor, battling Detroit guards Duncan Robinson and Kevin Huerter.

While on the ground, the forward tossed the basketball backward between his legs like a long snapper in American football, finding Klay Thompson waiting in the left corner for a three-point jump shot.

“Quería hacer el pase antes de que la pelota fuera desviada,” Antetokounmpo explained regarding his choice to throw the ball backward.

Thompson converted the shot cleanly, expressing immediate astonishment at his teammate’s court vision and execution.

“Fue un snap increíble, al estilo de un long snapper. Es una prueba del nivel de habilidad de Giannis. La gente se queda embobada con su capacidad para volcarla y correr, pero, Dios mío… Simplemente sabía que yo estaba en la esquina. Ni siquiera me vio, y aun así la metió justo entre las piernas,” Thompson told Olé after the game.

Spoelstra se sorprende por los pases de Antetokounmpo

Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra admitted he was entirely unprepared for Antetokounmpo’s unorthodox delivery from the floor.

“Por lo general puedo ver el pase que alguien va a dar, y jamás habría predicho ese pase a la esquina,” Spoelstra told Olé. “Y luego, Klay tiene toda una carrera de aprovechar el momento, ¿no? No va a dejar que un momento se le escape. … Se va a asegurar de encestar el triple.”

Before the end of the first half, Antetokounmpo added another unconventional assist by throwing a blind, over-the-shoulder pass to Ryan Conwell, who set up another successful three-pointer.

“Nos gusta cuando le aporta al juego un poquito de Magic Johnson,” Spoelstra said of the forward’s playmaking display.

Supporting performances across the roster

Along with Antetokounmpo's 34 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists, the Heat received help from returning and starting rotation players.

Klay Thompson finished with 26 points in his return from an ankle sprain, shooting 6 of 11 from beyond the arc, according to reports from infobae.

Bam Adebayo added 20 points for Miami, contributing alongside Antetokounmpo to give the team’s two big men a combined 54 points on the night. Miami also had nine different players register at least one block, finishing with 14 team blocks—just one shy of the franchise record. Davion Mitchell contributed 15 points and nine rebounds.

The Pistons fought to stay within striking distance until the second half, when Miami pulled away following Detroit’s double-overtime match in Washington earlier in the week. No other Pistons starter managed to score more than 10 points.

More on this story: Giannis Antetokounmpo Scores 34 to Lead Heat to 137-117 Win Over Pistons · Giannis Antetokounmpo Leads Miami Heat Past Detroit Pistons

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