In the Miami Heat's big win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo became the team's second duo in franchise history to combine for at least 35-plus points in the same game. They join the rare Heat status that only LeBron James and Dwyane Wade had previously reached.
Against the Cavs, Giannis finished with 37 points and nine rebounds, while Bam added 37 points and 14 boards. The Heat pulled away from the Cavs late and got a key victory on NBA Cup Friday.
The impressive win, in which the team was without both Klay Thompson and Pelle Larsson, moves Miami to 6-6 on the season.
After starting the season 0-4, the Heat have now won six of their last eight games. Despite the encouraging shift over their previous seven games, Miami's win over the Cavs will be remembered as the team's best win of the season so far.
Even though the Cavs were without Evan Mobley, this was the first time all season that the Heat looked impressive from the opening tip to the final whistle in a win. Even without two starters, Miami controlled this game, with both Giannis and Bam dominating.
Giannis and Bam are getting more and more comfortable
While the win is another building-block moment for the Heat, there continues to be growing evidence that Giannis and Bam are getting more and more comfortable with each other. The fact that they just put together one of the best collective performances in Heat history says it all.
It has taken some time, but Giannis and Bam are quietly emerging into that dominant frontcourt force that many believed they would eventually evolve into. In fact, I'd make the argument that the strides this duo has made in the last couple of weeks have them, as a duo, perhaps ahead of schedule to a certain extent.
Right now, even after going 6-2 in their last eight games, the Heat still have questions about their contending status in the Eastern Conference. However, not many of those surround the fit of Giannis and Bam anymore.
When the Heat had gotten off to a 0-4 start to the year, many of their questions revolved around the fit of their star duo. Slowly, both Giannis and Bam have effectively put all of that to bed.
One performance doesn't mean that the Heat have completely figured it out, but it does speak to the strides that they've made so far this season. And, just as we saw on Friday night, the peaks of this duo have the chance to rival what Heat fans saw in LeBron and Wade. It's slightly different, but Giannis and Bam have the opportunity to be just as dominant.
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