Field Level Media
Dec 30, 2023
Collin Sexton scored 22 points and Keyonte George added 21 points to lead the Utah Jazz to a 117-109 victory over the Miami Heat on Saturday in Salt Lake City.
Bam Adebayo had a huge game for Miami, which saw its four-game winning streak snapped. He totaled 28 points, 16 rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocked shots. Tyler Herro scored 25 with six rebounds and six assists.
George scored 12 points in the fourth quarter. The rookie had a career-high-tying five 3-pointers to help the Jazz continue their best stretch of the season with their seventh win in 10 games.
Former Miami player Kelly Olynyk played a big role off the bench with 19 points, 10 assists and six rebounds as Utah won its fourth game in five outings coming off of a five-game road trip.
The Jazz won despite off-nights for Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson, who combined to score just 21 points on 7-of-23 shooting. Utah was also just 11-for-41 from 3-point territory.
Simone Fontecchio started and had 12 points and seven rebounds for the Jazz, who had seven players in double figures.
The teams kept things close from the get-go. Miami led 28-27 after the first quarter, and Utah went into the locker room with a 54-53 lead after Sexton made a late go-ahead layup.
The back-and-forth tilt continued through the third quarter and into the fourth. The score was tied 88-88 after three quarters and was still a one-point game midway through the final stanza.
After the Heat's Duncan Robinson cut their deficit to 100-99 with a bucket at the 5:57 mark, the Jazz got a bit of separation on the scoreboard thanks to two George 3-pointers and an Olynyk score.
That 108-100 lead, created from a 15-4 Jazz run, was the biggest advantage of the night for either team up to that point.
The Heat, playing their second game in a five-game Western trip, were again without Josh Richardson (back) and Kyle Lowry (soreness).
--Field Level Media