Bam Adebayo Becomes Miami's All-Time Leading Rebounder as the Heat Beat the Hawks 129-117 for Their First Win
Udonis Haslem's franchise record stood at 5,791 rebounds. Bam Adebayo needed nine on Wednesday night, got them, and finished at 5,794 — with a season-high 24 points in Miami's first win of the season.
Miami's first win of the season came with a piece of franchise history attached. Bam Adebayo scored a season-high 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the Heat's 129-117 win over the Hawks in Atlanta on Wednesday night — and those nine boards made him Miami's all-time leading rebounder, Reuters reported.
The record Adebayo passed belonged to Udonis Haslem, the Heat's three-time champion and career embodiment, at 5,791 rebounds. Adebayo ended the night at 5,794. Giannis Antetokounmpo matched his 24 points and added a season-high 18 rebounds for Miami, which had dropped its first four games; Andrew Wiggins scored 18 and Pelle Larsson 17.
Atlanta got 23 points from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who hit five 3-pointers, and a season-high 23 on 9-of-12 shooting from rookie guard Kingston Flemings. CJ McCollum scored 13, Jalen Johnson 12, and Onyeka Okongwu 11 while battling foul trouble — a balanced night that still left the Hawks 12 points short.
For the Heat, the night solves two problems at once: the 0-4 start is over, and the franchise's rebounding crown has passed, in a win, to the player the current era is built around. Haslem's record was a longevity monument; Adebayo broke it while still in his prime, which suggests the new mark will keep moving for years.
