Giannis Antetokounmpo's triple-double blows out shorthanded Pacers, 145-125, in NBA Cup game

The short-handed Pacers -- playing with 11 players including just eight on standard contracts due to injuries, got off to a hot start Friday but were eventually overwhelmed by Miami's veterans in a 145-125 loss at the Kaseya Center in Miami in the NBA Cup group play opener for each team.The Pacers fell to 2-4, 0-1 in East Group B, the most loaded of the NBA Cup groups. The Heat improved to 2-4, 1-0. Miami's Giannis Antetokounmpo posted his second triple-double of the season with 31 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists. Center Bam Adebayo had 27 points and nine rebounds. Guard Klay Thompson had 25 points with seven 3-pointers, wing Pelle Larsson had 18 points on 5 of 5 shooting and point guard Davion Mitchell posted 15 points and 11 assists. Guard Quenton Jackson scored 24 points for the Pacers and point guard Andrew Nembhard had 22 points and nine assists. Forward Jarace Walker added 14 points, forward Pascal Siakam had 13 and center Jay Huff had 13.Here are three observations. Pacers have no answer for Antetokounmpo, AdebayoThrough the years, the Pacers have found it nearly impossible to defend Giannis Antetokounmpo even when they were completely healthy, and they've had some rough outings against Bam Adebayo as well. It wasn't optimal, then, that the Pacers had to play them Friday night without an All-NBA defender in center Ivica Zubac, who has been out since spraining his left ankle in Sunday's win over the Nets. Forward Obi Toppin isn't exactly known for defense, but the 6-9 high flyer was averaging more than 15 points per game heading into Friday before his lower back apparently locked up and he wasn't available for the game either.That left the Pacers with power forward Pascal Siakam, journeyman centers Jay Huff and Larry Nance Jr. and two-way contract forward Jalen Slawson defending the interior. The Pacers threw different coverages at Antetokounmpo, sometimes using smaller defenders on him and building a three-man wall near the free-throw line with numerous defenders.Antetokounmpo still mostly did what he wanted, however. He posted his second triple-double of the last three games, scoring 31 points on 13 of 18 shooting to go with 17 rebounds and 10 assists against one turnover. One of his field goals was a 3-pointer but the other 12 he made were not only in the paint, they were within 6 feet of the bucket. The 6-11, 250-pound two-time MVP simply bullied defenders as he so often has in his career against the Pacers.Adebayo took advantage of the attention the Pacers had to pay to Antetokounmpo and was plenty dominant in his own right, posting 27 points on 11 of 14 shooting. His buckets came a little further away from the rim than Antetokoumpo's, but 10 of his 11 field goals were still in the paint. He also grabbed nine rebounds and dished out three assists.Forward Andrew Wiggins added 12 points and the dominant frontcourt play helped the Heat win the points-in-the-paint battle 64-50. The Heat also won the battle on the glass 47-37. Heat get vintage Klay Thompson performance Klay Thompson is one of the best shooters to ever lace up sneakers, ranking fourth all-time in career 3-pointers behind only former teammate Stephen Curry, James Harden and Ray Allen. The 36-year-old started this season slowly, making just 12 of 37 3-pointers in the Heat's first five games, but he found his old form at a bad time for the Pacers. Thompson scored 25 points on 9 of 14 shooting including 7 of 12 from 3-point range. He scored 15 points on 5 of 7 shooting in the third quarter alone, helping the Heat build their lead up to 23 points and blow the doors off. He helped the Heat make 13 of their 23 second half 3-pointers, adding to the dominance they were already getting from inside and helping Miami post 1.39 points per possession.Andrew Nembhard Pacers' bright spot WIth their All-Star, Tyrese Haliburton, likely to miss multiple weeks with his hamstring strain, the Pacers are at least getting most of what they could ask for from Andrew Nembhard in his place.As he has whenever Haliburton has been off the floor in recent seasons, Nembhard shifted from his nominal starting shooting guard role to the point, and he's been steady in his execution of the offense and also his scoring. He entered play Friday averaging 16.5 points and 7.8 assists per game and added to those numbers with 22 points and nine assists. He was 8 of 16 from the floor including 5 of 8 from 3-point range, an area where he's been inconsistent as a career 34.3% 3-point shooter. Nembhard helped the Pacers get rolling with a 42-point first quarter before they hit a dry spell with a 19-point second quarter and faded away after that. The Pacers' depth issues make them extremely vulnerable against powerful teams like Miami, but Nembhard's play has helped keep them at least reasonably competitive. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter..oembed-frame {width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;border:0;}This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Giannis Antetokounmpo's triple-double blows out shorthanded Pacers, 145-125, in NBA Cup game