Anticipation was sky-high for Giannis Antetokounmpo’s first regular-season game with the Miami Heat on Wednesday night. While the two-time MVP set a franchise record with 35 points in his debut, it wasn’t enough to stop the Minnesota Timberwolves from cruising to a 131-106 season-opening victory at Kaseya Center.
Anthony Edwards erupted for 45 points as the Timberwolves led by as many as 30, with the superstar shooting guard generating early MVP buzz.
However, much of the postgame reaction also centered on Antetokounmpo’s supporting cast, with some questioning whether the superstar forward is much better off than he was with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Heat Move Gets Called Into Question After Opening-Night Letdown
Antetokounmpo drew MVP chants early and scored Miami’s first 8 points. The 31-year-old went on to finish 13-for-19 overall (68.4%) and 9-for-14 at the free-throw line (64.3%), adding 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal in just 30 minutes.
Edwards answered with a barrage of his own, though. The four-time All-Star shot 16-for-29 (55.2%) and grabbed 10 rebounds, while his new co-star LaMelo Ball chipped in 21 points and 6 assists.
Despite Antetokounmpo pouring in 14 first-quarter points, the Heat still trailed 34-32 after the first 12 minutes. The visitors then took a 69-59 lead into halftime and pushed their advantage to 123-93 late in the fourth quarter.
Legion Hoops zeroed in on the gulf between the 2021 NBA Finals MVP’s production and the final score: “Miami still gets blown out by Minnesota. Have to feel for him.”
Others were far less charitable toward the players around him. NBA content creator Carson Breber didn’t hold back:
“Heat looked bad. Very little offense outside of Giannis. Poor shooting. Non-Giannis minutes were so bad.”
Bam Adebayo was Miami’s second-leading scorer with 15 points, while Bobby Portis led the bench with just 7. Antetokounmpo’s minus-11 plus-minus was by far the best among the Heat’s starters, as the team was outscored by 14 points in the 18 minutes he spent on the bench.
The Heat shot an abysmal 8-for-33 from 3-point range (24.2%), getting outscored 63-24 from beyond the arc. They were also outrebounded 52-34, including 17-4 on the offensive glass.
Following the lopsided home defeat, Miami’s backcourt drew its own share of criticism.
“Miami Heat guards not good enough,” one fan posted.
The Heat’s front office parted with Tyler Herro to acquire Antetokounmpo over the summer and lost Norman Powell in free agency, leaving Miami’s backcourt significantly thinner. Those departures put pressure on streaky veteran shooting guard Klay Thompson and defensive-minded guard Davion Mitchell to produce offense in the starting lineup.
“Yes, it’s only Game 1, but I been saying it all offseason that creation from the guard position will be an issue,” another fan stressed.
Mitchell dished out 11 assists to go with 11 points, and the Heat finished with 27 dimes to the Timberwolves’ 20, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the disparities in 3-point shooting and shot creation, defensive lapses, and rebounding struggles.
Miami fan page Heat Nation vented: “This is game 1 of 82, but what a poor opening performance. Preached defense to get torched.”
New York Knicks fan page The Knicks Recap needed only two words to describe the new-look Heat: “Miami Bucks.”
“The Miami Heat team just feels like another kind of Bucks team so far,” an NBA YouTuber added, referencing Milwaukee’s overreliance on Antetokounmpo over the previous few seasons.
The Heat (0-1) will look to rebound from their underwhelming start during their upcoming back-to-back set against the Detroit Pistons (1-0) on Friday and the Charlotte Hornets (1-0) on Saturday.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.