Miami @ Utah preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 1, 2016 ) Miami 111, Utah 110

The Utah Jazz are struggling to rediscover their defensive identity and will take on a Miami Heat team that is coming off its best offensive effort of the season when the teams meet in Salt Lake City on Friday. After opening the season with a 5-3 record while holding every opponent to 103 points or fewer, the Jazz have dropped three in a row while giving up an average of 116.7.

They were a bit better on that end of the floor against Philadelphia on Tuesday, but shot a season-low 30.3 percent in a 104-97 loss. "Right now, I think we're a little too much in our head," forward Thabo Sefolosha told reporters. "We worry about not making shots and things like that. But those things take care of themselves. I think it's mostly communication on the defensive end." The Heat hope to provide a similar challenge after posting a 126-115 win at Phoenix on Wednesday to improve to 2-2 on their six-game road trip. Goran Dragic had a season-high 29 points as Miami shot 53.1 percent and outrebounded the Suns by a 53-34 margin.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Miami), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah)

ABOUT THE HEAT (5-6): Dragic has scored in double figures and has at least one 3-pointer in each of Miami's first 11 games, and he hit all 10 of his free throws in Wednesday's win. "Greatness in this league is consistency, and Goran, you can book it every single night what you're going to get from him," coach Erik Spoelstra told the media. "He had a little bit extra punch to him in this game." Fellow star Hassan Whiteside has run counter to Dragic with a very inconsistent stretch, but he notched his fourth double-double in six games this season with 23 points and 10 boards versus Phoenix.

ABOUT THE JAZZ (5-6): Rookie Donovan Mitchell led the woeful shooting effort against Philadelphia with a dismal 3-for-21 showing, while point guard Ricky Rubio continued to slump following a torrid start. Rubio, never a serious perimeter threat in six seasons in Minnesota, buried 11-of-21 3-pointers in a recent three-game stretch while averaging 23.7 points, but he is 1-for-14 from long range and shooting 25.7 percent overall during the losing streak. Fellow starting guard Rodney Hood has also struggled with accuracy of late, making 15-of-54 shots in his last four contests.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Heat PF James Johnson is averaging 16.3 points on 56.4 percent shooting off the bench during the road trip.

2. Jazz C Rudy Gobert entered Thursday leading the NBA in blocked shots per game (2.55) after swatting three against Philadelphia.

3. The teams split two meetings last season, with the road team winning both times.

PREDICTION: Jazz 106, Heat 100