Game Preview: Jazz v Heat

The Utah Jazz will play host to the Miami Heat on Friday at Vivint Smart Home
Arena. After rattling off a three-game winning streak to close out October, the
Jazz (5-6) have dropped three straight games; two of which came on their home
floor, where they had been 5-0 prior to the losing streak. Utah is coming off a
miserable performance against the 76ers, as the Jazz fell behind by as much as
16 early on and ended up losing the game by seven. But the real issue is in the
fashion they lost, as they shot a horrid 30.3 percent from the field overall and
just 23 percent from behind the arc. These offensives woes are nothing new for
Utah this season, however, as the team is scoring just 99.1 points per game so
far this season, which is the third-worst mark in the NBA. As for the Heat
(5-6), it’s been an up-and-down start to the season for them as well, and they
are currently in the midst of six-game road trip, with Friday’s game in Utah
being stop number five. The x-factor in Miami’s success this season has been the
play of big man Hassan Whiteside, as after he was benched in the team’s 97-80
loss to the Warriors with just three points in 16 minutes, Whiteside bounced
back in a big way Wednesday against the Suns, posting a double-double of 23
points and 10 rebounds in the 11-point victory. It was Whiteside’s fourth
double-double of the season, and Miami is 3-1 in those games.