Heat beat Pistons 137-117 as Antetokounmpo scores 34 and Miami records 14 blocks

Giannis Antetokounmpo collected 34 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists as the Miami Heat defeated the Detroit Pistons 137-117 in Miami on Saturday night. The victory extended the Heat’s winning streak to four games and gave them seven wins in their past nine outings.

Klay Thompson returned from a sprained ankle to score 26 points, including six 3-pointers. Bam Adebayo contributed 20 points, while Davion Mitchell finished with 15 points and nine rebounds. Antetokounmpo led Miami in scoring for the second night of a weekend that also included a victory over Cleveland.

Detroit received 33 points and eight assists from Cade Cunningham. Kevin Huerter added 20 points and seven assists, but their contributions were not enough to prevent the Pistons from losing by 20 points. Miami paired its scoring production with blocks from nearly every part of its lineup.

Nine Heat players registered at least one blocked shot, setting a franchise record for the number of players with a block in a single game. Miami’s previous mark was eight players, a total it had reached five times. The Heat finished Saturday with 14 blocks overall, falling one short of the franchise record for a game.

The nine-player effort also put Miami close to an NBA record. Golden State is the only team to have 10 players record a block in the same game, accomplishing that feat twice, in 1991 and 2016. Miami ended the night one player short of matching that league mark.

Antetokounmpo’s performance brought his scoring total to 71 points across two nights, following his 37-point effort against Cleveland on Friday. His passing also provided a highlight against Detroit: in the opening quarter, he sent a through-the-legs assist to Thompson for a 3-pointer. Thompson’s six triples left him 26 short of matching former Heat guard Ray Allen’s 2,973 for third place in NBA history.

After opening the season 0-4, Miami now has a winning record through 13 games. Only three other teams in the past 25 seasons have made that turnaround: Sacramento reached 7-6 in 2022-23, Oklahoma City went 8-5 in 2018-19 and Dallas stood at 9-4 in 2006-07.

The Heat’s seven victories in nine games also matched their best nine-game stretch since an 8-1 run in November 2023. Miami next hosts Houston on Monday night, while Detroit travels to San Antonio for a Tuesday night game.