Miami Heat (1-4) beat Atlanta Hawks (2-3) 129-117 on the road on Wednesday, October 28, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Heat had the better start, winning the first 34-25 to lead by 9 after one. The Heat kept the pressure on with a 35-31 second quarter, carrying a 13-point lead into halftime.
The Hawks won the third 29-28 to stay in front, taking a 12-point lead into the fourth. The teams matched each other with 32 points apiece in the fourth quarter, and the Heat closed regulation with a 129-117 lead.
What decided it
The Heat grabbed 27.9% of their own misses, while the Hawks recovered 18.4%. The Heat made 16.7 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 9.4 for the Hawks. The second chances kept adding up.
At roughly 108 possessions per team, the Heat produced 119.3 points per 100 possessions to 108.2 for the Hawks.
Who made the difference
Giannis Antetokounmpo was the game's biggest individual force for MIA: 24 pts, 18 reb, 3 ast on 11-18 shooting. His Game Score of 23 led everyone. His team was -6 with him on the floor.
Kingston Flemings led the Hawks with 23 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast on 9-12 shooting, good for a 22.1 Game Score.
Jalen Johnson (12 pts, 9 reb, 11 ast), Giannis Antetokounmpo (24 pts, 18 reb, 3 ast), and Davion Mitchell (10 pts, 1 reb, 10 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
By our Win Meter this was an upset: The Heat entered with about a 24% chance.
Across the last 9 meetings in our records, Miami Heat lead 6-3.
The Heat are now 1-4, and the Hawks are 2-3. The Heat last five before this game: L-L-L-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.