The Miami Heat dropped to a 3-6 record following a 100-point defeat against the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center, marking the franchise’s worst start to a season in a decade. Around the Game reported that the loss concluded the team’s second back-to-back set of the young NBA season and served as their second defeat in three games on the current West Coast road trip. Miami now sits with its lowest record through nine games since the 2016-17 campaign, when the franchise opened with two wins and seven losses.
Golden State Third-Quarter Surge Breaks Open Competitive Game
Miami controlled the early tempo, opening the contest with a 14-4 run and holding a share of the lead through a 53-53 halftime deadlock. Stephen Curry managed only seven points on 2-of-10 shooting through the first two quarters. The game swung decisively in the third period when the Warriors outscored the Heat 38-23. Golden State capitalized on 22 Miami turnovers to generate 28 points, while also building a 50-32 advantage in points in the paint and a 21-7 margin in fast-break points.
STEPH DROPS 22 PTS IN THE 2H. WARRIORS WIN 6th STRAIGHT. 🏀 29 PTS 🏀 6 3PM With his 6 threes, Steph Curry becomes the first player in NBA history with four straight games of 5+ 3PM at age 38 or older 🤯 pic.twitter.com/MxDzI66Ehe
Curry caught fire after intermission, scoring 22 of his game-high 29 points in the second half while hitting 3 of 4 from beyond the arc in just 27 minutes of action. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra pointed to his team’s lack of sustained energy following the previous night’s contest as a primary factor in the collapse. We didn’t have much energy,
Spoelstra said after the final buzzer. I don’t want to use the two games in two days as an excuse. But they had a lot more energy, even in the paint.
Offensive Struggles and Roster Rotations Under Scrutiny
The Heat shot just 40.7 percent from the field and 13-of-44 from three-point range, with their 100 total points setting a new low for the season. Davion Mitchell led Miami with 22 points, eight assists, and two rebounds, while Giannis Antetokounmpo contributed 20 points, 14 rebounds, and four assists in 34 minutes despite finishing with a minus-22 plus/minus rating. Bam Adebayo added 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Steph having fun next to Klay 😂👍 THUMBS UP for his former teammate! https://t.co/ucxJpfuFAm pic.twitter.com/Pq3fwE2ylH
Andrew Wiggins struggled against his former team, finishing with just two points on 1-of-6 shooting in 21 minutes. Statistical tracking through the team’s early games shows a stark contrast in lineup efficiency: the starting unit featuring Mitchell, Klay Thompson, Wiggins, Antetokounmpo, and Adebayo carried a minus-5.8 net rating across 91 minutes, whereas replacing Wiggins with Pelle Larsson yielded a plus-36 net rating across 23 shared minutes. Larsson contributed 13 points and four assists off the bench in 29 minutes against Golden State.
Klay Thompson Returns to San Francisco as Heat Seek Stability
Playing at the Chase Center for the second time since leaving the Warriors in the summer of 2024, Klay Thompson scored 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting in 23 minutes. The veteran guard spent 11 seasons with Golden State, winning four NBA championships alongside Curry as part of the Splash Brothers tandem. We’re still a building group, but I don’t want to make excuses,
Thompson said.
Ryan Conwell (rookie): – 13 PTS Tim Hardaway Jr, Bobby Portis, Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jovic all combined: – 3 PTS How are we supposed to win games like this??? pic.twitter.com/KM6RyYsmls
Antetokounmpo Manages Wrist Injury Through West Coast Trip
Antetokounmpo played through a sprained right wrist sustained during Monday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The forward suffered a hard fall on a drive to the basket in the second quarter and has appeared on the injury report ahead of every game since, though he has not missed any action. Following Wednesday’s overtime win against the Los Angeles Clippers, where he posted 27 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists in 41 minutes, Antetokounmpo told reporters his hand was heavily wrapped and pretty banged up.
Prima della sfida contro Golden State, a Spoelstra è stato chiesto se fosse preoccupato per eventuali conseguenze dell’infortunio. Antetokounmpo declined to speak with reporters following the loss to the Warriors.
Heat Reset During Two-Day Break Before Facing Kings
The Heat will use a two-day break to reset before traveling to face the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.
