By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP in his first season with the Heat, was limited to 14 points before fouling out with a little less than two minutes remaining, as Miami fell to 0-3 after a 115-110 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
In total, the Greek Freak stayed on the court for 25 minutes, and coach Eric Spoelstra posed a rhetorical question in the press conference.
While Spoelstra didn’t want to blame the calls for the result, he defended Giannis: “I’m not making this game about the officials so everybody else can just kick rocks. I’m just talking about the physicality he endures every game, and then he’s the one fouling out? – That’s like Shaq.”
With Giannis in trouble, Miami used a lineup of starters Davion Mitchell and Bam Adebayo and reserves Pelle Larsson, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bobby Portis Jr. to spark a rally that forged ties at 100, 102 and 104.
“Our system is our system; we can be that active at any point during the game,” Spoelstra added about the 29-10 run Miami went on with that reserve unit, “when we aren’t, we’re choosing not to, and we’re paying the price for that. But that was inspiring, and ultimately what I told our team right now is we need inspiration.”
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