On October 3, 2026, at Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Giannis Antetokounmpo began his Miami Heat preseason career with a box score that rewarded a second look. He took only three shots from the field, made all three, and handed out seven assists in 14 minutes and seven seconds. Miami beat the Toronto Raptors 129–105, but the intriguing detail was how much of the new arrival’s work involved finding someone else.
The official NBA box score records nine points, four rebounds and two turnovers alongside those seven assists. WPLG Local 10’s game report independently confirms his perfect field-goal shooting and brief appearance. For a player whose size makes his own finishes so conspicuous, his passing supplied the more unusual opening-night number.
Seven assists, three shot attempts
An assist measures a pass that leads directly to a made basket. Antetokounmpo therefore finished with more than twice as many assists as field-goal attempts. That comparison does not capture every possession, screen or pass, but it gives this debut a distinctive shape: a scorer introducing himself through the opportunities he created.
Reporting from the South Florida Sun Sentinel described Miami’s early offense as a drive-and-kick attack that produced open three-point attempts. The interpretation is straightforward. When a ball-handler draws attention toward the paint, a pass back outside can turn that attention into space for a teammate. A short exhibition offered an early view of that possibility.
A fast start with a shared scoring load
The Heat scored 76 points before halftime and led 76–55. Antetokounmpo’s appearance was confined to the first half; Miami used the second half to give other players their opportunity. The split matters when reading the final margin, because the personnel on the floor changed considerably.
Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 14 points and made all four of his field-goal attempts. Andrew Wiggins added 12 points, including four three-pointers. Those figures, corroborated by Hot Hot Hoops’ recap and the NBA’s final table, show how the scoring was distributed. Antetokounmpo could have a visible offensive impact without leading Miami in points.
A new uniform, a modest sample
The NBA’s Canada Series preview framed the occasion as his first preseason appearance for Miami after 13 seasons in Milwaukee. That made Quebec City a starting point for a new team relationship as well as a preseason venue.
Three successful attempts are a small shooting sample, and exhibition results offer limited evidence about the season ahead. The useful curiosity is narrower and more concrete: in his first Heat outing, Antetokounmpo recorded seven assists while attempting only three field goals. His introduction gave Miami an immediate glimpse of both his finishing and his willingness to move the ball.
Sources and further reading
- NBA — official final box score, October 3, 2026
- WPLG Local 10 — Heat roll past Raptors in preseason opener
- South Florida Sun Sentinel via Yahoo Sports — Giannis sets aggressive tone
- Hot Hot Hoops — Miami’s preseason opener recap
- NBA — 2026 Canada Series preview and career context
