Giannis Antetokounmpo gave the Miami Heat crowd something to cheer about on Friday night. In the second quarter of Miami’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Kaseya Center, the two-time MVP threw down a monster dunk that had the arena buzzing.
The Heat were trailing 52-47 with 2:47 left in the first half when Antetokounmpo rocked the rim, a highlight the team quickly shared on social media. The slam cut Cleveland’s lead to three.
It capped off a strong opening half for the superstar forward. Antetokounmpo went into the break with 17 points on an efficient 7-of-9 shooting from the field, along with seven rebounds. He even knocked down one of his two 3-point attempts. The only blemishes on his stat line were three turnovers and a 2-of-6 showing at the free-throw line.
Even so, Miami trailed Cleveland 57-54 at halftime after the Cavaliers won the second quarter 30-25. The Heat had led by as many as eight points, but the Cavs answered with a 12-0 run of their own.
Bam Adebayo added 14 points and five rebounds for Miami, while Davion Mitchell dished out nine assists to go with eight points.
Cleveland’s success came from beyond the arc. The Cavaliers knocked down 11 of their 26 attempts from deep in the first half. James Harden and Tyrese Proctor each scored 12 points, with Proctor going 3-of-4 from 3-point range, while Jaylon Tyson chipped in nine points off three triples. Donovan Mitchell had eight points and five assists.
Antetokounmpo arrived in Miami over the summer in a blockbuster trade that sent Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and a haul of draft picks to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Heat came into Friday at 5-6, having won back-to-back games on their recent road trip, while Cleveland entered at 6-6.
The Heat will look to lean on Antetokounmpo once again in the second half as they try to pull ahead of the Cavaliers.