The Miami Heat ended their four-game losing streak with a 129-117 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, October 28.
Erik Spoelstra’s team produced a well-rounded performance, with seven players scoring in double digits. After the game, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder admitted that Miami’s front-court size created multiple issues for his team, most notably on the glass.
“Obviously, Giannis,” Snyder said. “We had a question before about Bam breaking the rebounding record for the Heat. He’s out there. Obviously, Giannis is out there, too. Portis is physical. They have size across their front line. We can’t accept that those aren’t plays and balls that we can’t come up with. There’s another level there, and at times we found it.”
Miami out-rebounded the Hawks in their win, dominating the battle of the glass 52-40. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with an impressive 18 boards, five coming on the offensive glass, and 13 on the defensive end. Bam Adebayo chipped in with 9 rebounds of his own, while Pelle Larsson added a further six.
Overall, the Heat used their size to dominate the Hawks, allowing them to take control of the game and lean into their physicality to help set the tone.
Heat’s Erik Spoelstra Impressed With Giannis
It would be fair to state that this was Giannis’ best game since joining the Heat during the offseason. He found ways to dominate on both sides of the ball, using his gravity to create opportunities for those around him.
Speaking in his postgame news conference, head coach Erik Spoelstra praised Giannis’ approach throughout the win over Atlanta.
“Giannis will have bigger nights than this, offensively,” Spoelstra admitted. “But I thought he played a smart game. Allowing other guys to have an impact. Asserting himself when he needed to. He was a monster on the glass, on both ends. It seemed that whenever there needed to be a momentum play, he had his fingerprints on it, at key points in the game. We really want him to be assertive.”
The Heat roster is still adjusting to Giannis’ presence. Figuring out how to play alongside him is no easy feat. However, against Atlanta, Miami will hope the roster is starting to figure things out.
Erik Spoelstra Please With Heat Wn
Elsewhere in Spoelstra’s news conference, he addressed the fact that the win over Atlanta was Miami’s first of the season, following a difficult start to the 2026-27 campaign.
“The biggest thing is that we’ve been able to handle adversity appropriately,” Spoelstra said. “Nobody was hanging their heads when they came in the next day. We were all frustrated to start the season. This one game is not all we’re looking for; obviously, we’re trying to build something much bigger than that. You have to deal with what happens in this league, and not compound it by losing your spirit. It was about just coming together and trying to figure out solutions and how we can be better.”
The Heat will be back in action on Friday, October 30, when they face the Indiana Pacers in the opening game of their NBA Cup schedule.
Dominant Miami Heat Performance Earns Eye-Opening Admission From Hawks Head Coach