Giannis Antetokounmpo finally has his first win in a Miami Heat jersey, and Bam Adebayo made some franchise history along the way.
After losing their first four games since acquiring Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee, the Heat secured a 129-117 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.
Antetokounmpo finished with 24 points and 18 rebounds, bringing his season total to 138 points, the most ever scored by a Heat player through his first five games with the franchise.
The performance also marked his 118th career game with at least 20 points and 15 rebounds, the third-most in the NBA since his debut in 2013.
But Antetokounmpo wasn’t the only one celebrating.
Adebayo became Miami’s all-time leading rebounder, surpassing longtime Heat captain Udonis Haslem’s record of 5,791 rebounds.
Adebayo grabbed nine boards against Atlanta, taking his career total to 5,794.
“Man, I can’t really put it into words,” Adebayo said during his postgame interview. “The person I’m passing has been so close to me throughout my 10 years in this career, from the time I walked in until now.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra praised Adebayo’s achievement and the team’s response to its difficult start.
“It was a really special moment in the locker room,” Spoelstra said. “So well deserved. He’s done it with an iron will, a work ethic that’s unmatched. That’s a lot of rebounds in traffic, getting hit, banged in there. To be able to do it and break the record of his brother, UD, that’s a really special moment.”
Miami also received 18 points from Andrew Wiggins, while Pelle Larsson contributed 17 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds.
The Heat shot 53 percent from the field and dominated inside, scoring 70 points in the paint.
Despite finally getting into the win column, Spoelstra made it clear that Miami has bigger ambitions.
Miami will now look to build on the victory after a frustrating start to the season.
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