Tyler Herro dropped 29 points and Bam Adebayo posted 17 points with 11 boards as Miami slipped past Milwaukee, 106-103, in an NBA Cup matchup on Wednesday night. The victory marked Erik Spoelstra’s 800th regular-season win, making him only the 17th coach in league history to reach the milestone and just the third to do it with one team.
Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, and Kel’el Ware added 11 each for Miami. The Heat moved to 3-1 in Cup play and stayed hot at home at 9-1. Miami can lock up Group C if Milwaukee beats New York on Friday; if the Knicks win, the Heat will need help to advance.
Ryan Rollins led the Bucks with 26 points, while Myles Turner scored 24 and Gary Trent Jr. added 15. Milwaukee has now lost six in a row, with the last four coming without Giannis Antetokounmpo. He missed another game due to a strained left adductor but took part in shootaround and a pregame workout, signs that he may return soon.
Milwaukee’s loss was its first ever in the NBA Cup group stage. The Bucks had gone 10-0 in that phase since the tournament began three seasons ago. Doc Rivers also took his first loss in a Cup game after starting 8-0 as a coach.
Rivers said the team still struggles during stretches when Giannis is off the floor. He believes this tough run may help them later in the season.