Giannis wants the Heat’s regular season: ‘That’s when I get my dopamine hit’

Oct 15, 2026

20-15-9 in 24 minutes

Giannis Antetokounmpo finished one assist short of a triple-double in Miami’s 144-128 win over Brooklyn: 20 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists in 24 minutes.

The dopamine hit

“I want the regular season to start. That’s when I get my dopamine hit. That’s where I feel like I’ll be myself,” he said after his third Heat preseason game.

Alive in a new gym

“I feel energized. I feel alive,” Antetokounmpo said of Heat crowds that spent years watching him from the other bench. “Now we’re on the same side.”

Mitchell’s dangerous pace

On Davion Mitchell: “He goes so fast.” When Mitchell sits, “our pace slows down.” Antetokounmpo added: “People don’t want to come in this gym and play with that pace.”

Pick your poison

Bobby Portis scored 12 off the bench. “You’ve got to pick your poison,” Antetokounmpo said of defenses loading up on him — and leaving Portis open.

One more preseason

Miami has Friday at Orlando left. “I need as many games as I can get… The more I play with them, the more comfortable I get,” he said of Hardaway Jr., Mitchell, Bam and the rest.

Photo credit

Giannis Antetokounmpo attacks the Nets in Miami. Photo credit: NBA / X video still.

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