Giannis Antetokounmpo urges Miami to stay calm after 0–4 start

Giannis Antetokounmpo has called for patience and greater confidence from his Miami Heat teammates after the team suffered a fourth consecutive defeat to begin the 2026–27 NBA season. Despite another outstanding individual performance from the Greek superstar, Miami fell 113–109 to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night.

Antetokounmpo finished with 29 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists, recording his first triple-double in a Heat uniform. However, Bam Adebayo struggled to make an impact, scoring just eight points on three-of-10 shooting in 30 minutes. The result left Miami with a 0–4 record, increasing the pressure on the team to find its rhythm.

Antetokounmpo believes the solution is for players to trust their individual strengths rather than overthink their responsibilities on the court. He stressed that scorers should look for opportunities to shoot, while players who excel at attacking the basket should continue to do so. In his view, greater decisiveness could help Miami develop better chemistry and rediscover its winning form.

The two-time NBA MVP also warned against panicking so early in the campaign, drawing on his own experience of both losing and winning long streaks. Adebayo, meanwhile, pushed back against media criticism after the Dallas defeat, arguing that his poor shooting should not make him the scapegoat for the team's disappointing start. Miami will look to respond when it faces the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.