Draymond Green believes stopping Giannis Antetokounmpo requires a collective defensive effort, not an individual matchup, as the Golden State Warriors beat the Miami Heat 120-100 on Thursday.
“No one in this league is stopping Giannis one on one,” Green said. “If your teammates are not in gaps, is not building the wall when he’s coming downhill, you stand no chance. So it’s never a one man army when you’re playing against Giannis and trying to stop him, it’s a full team effort because he’s a great player.”
Antetokounmpo finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds at Chase Center. The Warriors held Miami to 100 points and forced 19 turnovers, with Green recording a season-high 11 assists.
Golden State improved to 6-3 with its sixth consecutive victory after opening the season 0-3. Stephen Curry led the way with 29 points, six three-pointers and four assists.
The Warriors took control in the third quarter, outscoring Miami 38-23. Curry and Yaxel Lendeborg helped fuel the run, while Golden State extended its advantage to 30 points early in the fourth.
Lendeborg finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Georges Niang added 13 points off the bench, while De’Anthony Melton and Brandin Podziemski contributed 10 and nine points, respectively.
Miami had three players score at least 18 points. Davion Mitchell led the Heat with 22 points and eight assists, while Bam Adebayo recorded 18 points and 10 rebounds.
The Heat also received 13 points apiece from Nikola Jovic and Simone Fontecchio. However, their 25 turnovers proved costly as Golden State converted them into 36 points.
The game also marked Klay Thompson’s return to San Francisco as an opponent. The former Warriors guard scored 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting and received a warm ovation before tipoff.
Andrew Wiggins, another former Golden State player, finished with two points, six rebounds and four assists for Miami. The Heat fell to 3-6 during their five-game West Coast road trip.
Curry also moved into 17th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, passing Oscar Robertson with a first-quarter three-pointer. He finished the night with 26,739 career points.
Miami visits the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, while Golden State hosts the Orlando Magic on Saturday.
