Miami Heat First Basket Stats 2025-26: Who Scores First
Bam Adebayo scored the Heat’s first basket more than anyone in 2025-26: 20 times in 74 starts, or 27% of the games they started. Andrew Wiggins was next with 14. The Heat made the game’s first field goal in 57% of their 83 games and won 64% of their opening tipoffs. Everything below is counted from the play-by-play of every 2025-26 game (1,225 regular season, 85 playoffs, 6 play-in).
Who scored the first basket for the Heat in 2025-26
First basket for team is the first field goal by any MIA player; first basket of game is the game’s first field goal by anyone. Rates are per game started.
| Player | Starts | First basket for MIA | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bam Adebayo | 74 | 20 | 27% | 14 | 19% |
| Andrew Wiggins | 69 | 14 | 20% | 9 | 13% |
| Norman Powell | 52 | 13 | 25% | 6 | 12% |
| Davion Mitchell | 71 | 13 | 18% | 5 | 7% |
| Kel’el Ware | 35 | 10 | 29% | 6 | 17% |
| Pelle Larsson | 54 | 6 | 11% | 3 | 6% |
| Tyler Herro | 29 | 4 | 14% | 2 | 7% |
| Simone Fontecchio | 9 | 2 | 22% | 1 | 11% |
| Myron Gardner | 7 | 1 | 14% | 1 | 14% |
| Kasparas Jakučionis | 12 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
How often the Heat scored first
| Split | Games | Scored first | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 83 | 47 | 57% |
| Home | 41 | 27 | 66% |
| Away | 42 | 20 | 48% |
| Regular season | 82 | 47 | 57% |
| Play-in | 1 | 0 | 0% |
Opening tipoff
| Jumper | Tipoffs | Won | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bam Adebayo | 46 | 32 | 70% |
| Kel’el Ware | 34 | 19 | 56% |
| Team | 80 | 51 | 64% |
How the Heat’s first baskets were scored
| Method | First baskets | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 3-pointer | 35 | 42% |
| Layup | 26 | 31% |
| Other 2-pointer (jumper, hook, tip) | 17 | 20% |
| Dunk | 5 | 6% |
2024-25
| Player | Starts | First basket for MIA | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bam Adebayo | 83 | 23 | 28% | 16 | 19% |
| Tyler Herro | 82 | 16 | 20% | 8 | 10% |
| Kel’el Ware | 42 | 7 | 17% | 2 | 5% |
| Duncan Robinson | 37 | 6 | 16% | 4 | 11% |
| Jimmy Butler III | 24 | 6 | 25% | 3 | 12% |
| Haywood Highsmith | 42 | 5 | 12% | 3 | 7% |
| Nikola Jovic | 9 | 5 | 56% | 2 | 22% |
| Terry Rozier | 22 | 4 | 18% | 0 | 0% |
Who scores the first basket most often for the Heat?
Bam Adebayo, with 20 of the Heat’s first baskets in 2025-26 (27% of their 74 starts), ahead of Andrew Wiggins with 14.
How often do the Heat score first?
The Heat made the first field goal in 47 of 83 games in 2025-26 (57%): 66% at home and 48% on the road.
Who takes the opening tipoff for the Heat?
Bam Adebayo took 46 of the Heat’s 80 opening tips in 2025-26 and won 70% of them.
Is Bam Adebayo a good first basket bet?
That depends on the price. A player who scores first for their team in 27% of starts is worth a bet only when a book prices them below that, after adjusting for tonight’s lineup and opponent. Our models make that comparison every 30 minutes for every NBA game; see NBA first basket picks.
Source: NBA play-by-play and box scores, 2025-26. Updated October 13, 2026. See the NBA first basket leaders for every team, or all stats.