Observations from Heat’s Red, White & Pink scrimmage, and what Giannis had to say
Two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo still hasn’t played a game at Kaseya Center in a Miami Heat jersey. But Antetokounmpo has now played in a scrimmage at his new home arena in front of Heat fans after being traded to Miami this past summer.
The Heat, starring Antetokounmpo, took part in its annual “Red, White & Pink Game” in front of fans on Tuesday night at Kaseya Center. Tickets for the scrimmage cost $10 each, with proceeds benefiting cancer care and research at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute.
“I feel good,” Antetokounmpo said before Tuesday’s scrimmage, addressing the Miami crowd during an in-arena interview. “This is my first time being out here with fans. ... It’s good to be on this side.”
The Heat, which opened its five-game exhibition schedule with a 129-105 win over the Toronto Raptors in Quebec City, Canada on Saturday, continues the preseason on Thursday against the New Orleans Pelicans in Miami (7:30 p.m., WPLG Local 10).
“This is amazing,” Antetokounmpo said during his in-arena interview when asked about the meaning behind Tuesday’s event. “I’ve been in the league for many years. This is the first time I’ve been a part of something like this.”
Tuesday’s scrimmage consisted of four 10-minute quarters. Here are some observations from the intrasquad game:
▪ Four players on the Heat’s 21-man preseason roster were held out of Tuesday’s scrimmage.
Guard Pelle Larsson and forward Andrew Wiggins did not play because they were sick. Their status for Wednesday’s practice is unclear.
In addition, guard Dru Smith (right calf strain) and two-way contract forward Keshad Johnson (right hamstring strain) also remained out due to their respective injuries.
▪ With those players out, the lineups to start the scrimmage looked like this.
The Red Team opened with a lineup of Davion Mitchell, Klay Thompson, Simone Fontecchio, Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
The White Team began with a lineup of Ryan Conwell, Tim Hardaway Jr., Myron Gardner, Nikola Jovic and Tim Hardway Jr.
▪ As expected, Antetokounmpo received a loud ovation from fans throughout the night. The first one came when he walked on to the court for his pre-scrimmage shooting, the next one came when he was introduced by the Heat’s new public address announcer Gale Nelson ahead of the scrimmage, andit continued when he opened the scoring Tuesday with a dunk.
Antetokounmpo totaled 14 points, three rebounds, five assists and one block in the first half of the scrimmage. He didn’t play in the second half.
“I feel good,” Antetokounmpo said during his in-arena interview on Tuesday. “I’m excited. I’m motivated. I’m working hard. I’m locked in.”
▪ This was an event for the fans and the players had fun with it.
Very little defense was played and there weren’t many fouls committed. There was an All-Star Game feel to the intrasquad scrimmage. But Antetokounmpo did block a Conwell layup attempt in the second quarter.
▪ Adebayo totaled 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the field and 3-of-11 shooting on threes and four rebounds.
▪ Thompson, who was acquired by the Heat this offseason after agreeing to a buyout with the Dallas Mavericks, showed off his elite three-point shooting.
Thompson scored 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field and 4-of-8 shooting on threes in the first half. He did not play in the second half.
▪ Hardaway, who was also acquired by the Heat this offseason in free agency, also flashed his quality outside shooting. He finished the scrimmage with 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 5-of-9 shooting from three-point range.
▪ Portis, who was dealt to the Heat as part of the Antetokounmpo trade, totaled 16 points and eight rebounds in the scrimmage.
▪ Mitchell, who made it a priority to shed weight this past offseason, even completed a dunk in the first quarter of Tuesday’s scrimmage.
For perspective on how rare that is, Mitchell’s last in-game dunk came during the 2022-23 season as a member of the Sacramento Kings.
Mitchell closed the scrimmage with 14 points and nine assists.
▪ Undrafted rookie guard Tre Donaldson, who is on a two-way contract with the Heat, also showed off his shot-making ability. He closed with a scrimmage-high 25 points on 11-of-18 shooting from the field and 3-of-9 shooting on threes, six rebounds and four assists.
Donaldson produced the highlight of the night, too, making Conwell fall to the ground with a crossover dribble in the second quarter of the scrimmage.
▪ Conwell, who was acquired by the Heat in the second round of this year’s draft, totaled 22 points on 9-of-19 shooting from the field and 4-of-10 shooting on threes, two rebounds and four assists in the scrimmage.
▪ With the event benefiting cancer care and research, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and players were each introduced ahead of the scrimmage alongside physicians, patients and survivors from the Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute.
Spoelstra watched the scrimmage from a courtside seat alongside both of his sons.
This story was originally published October 6, 2026 at 8:34 PM with the headline "Observations from Heat’s Red, White & Pink scrimmage, and what Giannis had to say."
