After Four Straight Losses, The Miami Heat Finally Won, And Bam Adebayo Made Franchise History

Bam Adebayo posing in his Miami Heat jersey© Instagram/ @bam1of1

The Heat had not started a season 0-4 since 2007-08, and the wait for the Giannis Antetokounmpo era's first win was getting long. On Wednesday night in Atlanta, it ended with a 129-117 win over the Hawks. Antetokounmpo had 24 points and 18 rebounds, and Bam Adebayo scored 24 and passed Udonis Haslem to become the team's all-time leading rebounder. The Heat are 1-4, and they looked like the team people expected in the summer. Here is how they finally did it.

Why The Heat Finally Won

Everything that went wrong early went right in Atlanta. The Heat were on the attack from the start, and they led by nine after one quarter and 69-56 at the half. The lead hit 18 in the third. Atlanta cut it to four with 6:21 left, but Miami answered with a 17-7 run and led by 14 with 1:13 to play.

The defense caused trouble. Miami forced 15 turnovers and turned them into 13 points, and its defensive rating of 105.6 points allowed per 100 possessions was a season best. On the other end, the Heat went at the rim. They outscored the Hawks 70-52 in the paint, a season high, and made 26 of 43 shots at the rim. They also won the offensive rebounding battle, 12-9.

A new look on offense helped. The Heat ran 57 pick-and-rolls in this game after running only 94 in the first four combined. That led to a season-best offensive rating of 118.3, and seven players scored in double figures.

Coach Erik Spoelstra said what stood out was how hard a win can be to get. “You never take it for granted how challenging and difficult it is to win in this league,” he said. His team also had to handle a late push. “We were able to respond,” he said. “That's this league.”

Antetokounmpo said the game felt easier because of the defense. “When we play defense, when we guard our own man, when we focus on that, our offense becomes a lot easier,” he said. It helped that he managed his fouls better, after fouling out in Miami's third game. Even with two fouls early, he finished with 18 rebounds, a season high.

Bam Adebayo's Record Night

Adebayo came into the game struggling, averaging 11.8 points on 40 percent shooting through four games. Against Atlanta, he found a rhythm early. He scored 24 points on 8-of-16 shooting and 8-of-9 at the free-throw line, with nine rebounds, three assists and three steals.

The record came with 2:21 left in the fourth quarter, when he grabbed his seventh rebound of the night and passed Haslem as the Heat's all-time leading rebounder. He already led the team in double-doubles.

Spoelstra called it “well-deserved,” and he said Adebayo got there “with an iron will, a work ethic that's unmatched.” Adebayo said passing Haslem meant a lot because Haslem has “always been a phone call away” for 10 years. Haslem couldn't be in Atlanta because of his job as a TV analyst, but he sent Adebayo a long voice note before the season. “So he knows how I feel,” Haslem said.

Adebayo is 10 seasons in, under contract through 2028-29, and he is on pace to finish among the Heat's all-time leaders in many categories.

Next up is the Pacers on Friday at home, and the Heat will try to stack another win.