Heat rise up against Jazz in 126-120 victory

MIAMI (ABC4 Sports) – The Utah Jazz are coming home from its three-game road trip without a victory, and without much of a hope to make a run at the playoffs.

Despite 31 points from rookie Keyonte George, the Jazz lost to the Miami Heat Saturday afternoon, 126-120.

Jimmy Butler scored 18 of his season-high 37 points in the third quarter, while Bam Adebayo finished with 23, as Miami handed the Jazz its eighth loss in the last nine games.

Caleb Martin had 18 points and Terry Rozier added 14 for Miami. Duncan Robinson and Jaime Jaquez Jr. each had 12.

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Lauri Markkanen had 25 for Utah, while Collin Sexton and John Collins each scored 18 points. Taylor Hendricks finished with 13 rebounds for the Jazz.

“Jimmy got away from us, especially in the second half,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said.

Butler had 36 points on two occasions earlier this season. He was 3 for 3 on 3-pointers and had a steal, extending his streak of having at least one 3-pointer and one steal to 13 consecutive games — the fourth-longest streak in the NBA this season and tying Tim Hardaway for the second-longest such streak in Heat history. Rafer Alston had a 15-game run for Miami in March 2004.

It also was ethe seventh consecutive time the Heat beat Utah in Miami — all of those wins coming by single digits.

The Heat were again without Tyler Herro, who missed his fourth consecutive game; the knee issue that had kept him out is no longer a factor, but now he is sidelined with right foot tendinitis. Kevin Love was also out with a bruised right heel.

For Utah, Walker Kessler (sprained right foot) was out for the second straight game and Jordan Clarkson — the team’s third-leading scorer behind Markkanen and Sexton — was out with an 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. They’re down to 21 games remaining.

Utah was 24-23 after winning in Charlotte on Jan. 27. The Jazz are 3-11 since, 0-6 away from home in that span.

“We’re still developing as a team,” George said. “We’re still young. And that’s a phenomenal team we just played.”

Utah was 24-23 after winning in Charlotte on Jan. 27. The Jazz are 3-11 since, 0-6 away from home in that span.

It was Utah by four after one, Utah still by four at the half and the teams were tied at 90-90 going into the fourth. There were 11 ties, 21 lead changes and almost the entire game was played with the sides within single digits of each other — the Jazz had an 11-point lead in the third quarter, for all of 26 seconds.

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Miami didn’t lead by more than five at any point until Martin made a 3-pointer with 2:38 left for a 117-109 lead. He left the game not long afterward after getting hit inadvertently by Butler as they jostled for a defensive rebound.

The Jazz come home to host Washington on Monday night.

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