Giannis Hunts First Home Win as Heat Open NBA Cup Against Injury-Hit Pacers

In search of the first home win of the Giannis Antetokounmpo era, the Miami Heat host the injury-plagued Indiana Pacers on Friday night in an East Group B game in the NBA Cup. It took a week for the new-look Heat to earn their first victory of the season, a 129-117 road win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, after losing their first four games for the first time since 2007-08. Antetokounmpo is averaging 27.6 points and 11.2 rebounds over five games with his new club, while Bam Adebayo is coming off his best outing of the season, scoring 24 points and grabbing nine rebounds against Atlanta to become the franchise's all-time leading rebounder. Indiana have dropped three of their last four and will remain without several important pieces in Miami. Tyrese Haliburton is expected to miss at least two weeks with a left hamstring strain, centre Ivica Zubac has missed the past two games with a sprained left ankle, and guard T.J. McConnell has yet to make his season debut because of a right hamstring injury. Andrew Nembhard, who had 18 points and 14 assists in a 114-109 home loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday, is listed as probable despite neck stiffness, and Lloyd Pierce will serve as interim coach while Rick Carlisle attends the funeral of his father, Preston, who died on October 3 at the age of 96.