Heat fall to 0-2 despite Giannis's 71-point opening

Giannis is matching his best two-game scoring start, but can Miami turn that production into wins without better defense?

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 36 points against Detroit, bringing his two-game total to 71 and matching his best scoring start to a season. [2] Miami nevertheless fell to 0-2 after allowing a franchise-worst 259 points across its first two games. [1][2]

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Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 36 points against Detroit, bringing his two-game total to 71 and matching his best scoring start to a season. [2] Miami nevertheless fell to 0-2 after allowing a franchise-worst 259 points across its first two games. [1][2] Why it matters: Miami's opening problem is not a lack of scoring from Antetokounmpo: his joint-best two-game offensive start has coincided with the franchise's worst two-game opening defensive total. [2] Key insights: This is the first time Antetokounmpo has played in his team's first two games of a season without recording a win. [2] | Milwaukee also opened 0-2 in 2015-16, but Antetokounmpo appeared in only one of those games. [2] | Coach Erik Spoelstra said Antetokounmpo and his teammates want the partnership to work, while acknowledging that progress has not followed their preferred timeline. [2] Cheatsheet facts: What happened: Miami opened 0-2 despite Antetokounmpo scoring 36 points against Detroit and 71 across two games. [2] | Why: The Heat allowed 259 points, their highest total conceded through the first two games of a season. [2] | The catch: Antetokounmpo's scoring matches his best opening two-game total, but it has not produced a win. [2] | What we don't know: Spoelstra said the team would get there, but supplied no timetable for resolving the poor start. [2]
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