Lynne Sladky / AP
Every Jazz-Heat game in Miami over the past seven seasons has gone the same way. They were all close until the end.
And Miami wins.
Jimmy Butler scored 18 of his season-high 37 points in the third quarter, Bam Adebayo added 23 and the Heat topped the Jazz 126-120 on Saturday night for their 10th victory in 13 games.
“When Bam and Jimmy play with that competitive spirit and are connected from a competitive standpoint, our guys feel like we can beat anybody,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Miami’s seven straight home wins against the Jazz have come, in order, by one, two, three, eight, three, four and now six points. Caleb Martin collected 18 points and Terry Rozier added 14 for Miami (34-26). Duncan Robinson and Jaime Jaquez Jr. each had 12.
“Jimmy got away from us, especially in the second half,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said.
Keyonte George scored 31 points and Lauri Markkanen had 25 for Utah. Collin Sexton and John Collins each scored 18 points, and Taylor Hendricks finished with 13 rebounds for the Jazz.
Butler had 36 points twice earlier this season. He was 3 for 3 on 3-pointers and had a steal, extending his streak of at least one 3-pointer and one steal to 13 straight games – the fourth-longest streak in the NBA this season and tying Tim Hardaway for second. -the longest such streak in Heat history. Rafer Alston played in 15 games for Miami in March 2004.
“We got some stops down the stretch and Jimmy and I made some big plays in the fourth,” Adebayo said.
Lynne Sladky / AP
The Heat were once again without Tyler Herro, who missed his fourth straight game; the knee problem that kept him out is no longer a factor, but he is now sidelined with tendonitis in his right foot. Kevin Love was also out with a bruised right heel.
For Utah, Walker Kessler (right foot sprain) was out for the second straight game and Jordan Clarkson – the team’s third-leading scorer behind Markkanen and Sexton – was out due to illness.
The Jazz (27-34) are 11th in the Western Conference and entered the night 5 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the final play-in spot with 21 games remaining. Utah was 24-23 after winning at Charlotte on January 27. The Jazz are 3-11 since then, 0-6 away during that span.
“We continue to grow as a team,” George said. “We’re still young. And it’s a phenomenal team we just played.”
It was Utah up four after one, Utah still up four at halftime and the teams were tied at 90-90 heading into the fourth. There were 11 ties, 21 lead changes and almost the entire game was played with teams within single digits of each other – the Jazz had an 11-point lead in the third quarter, for 26 seconds .
Miami never led by more than five until Martin made a 3-pointer with 2:38 left for a 117-109 lead. He left after being inadvertently hit in the face by Butler as they went for a defensive rebound on the next possession.
FOLLOWING
Jazz: host Washington Monday night.
Heat: Host Detroit on Tuesday night.
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