The Miami HEAT defeated the Utah Jazz 111-110 Thursday night at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Goran Dragic led the way for the HEAT with 27 points and six assists.
1. Dragic Closes It Out
Like on Wednesday against Denver, Dragic started the game quite well and did damage in the paint early on. This time around though, the Dragon saved his best for last, as he scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to help will Miami to yet another victory. In the period, Dragic really got going from the perimeter and hit some huge shots down the stretch that kept the HEAT neck-and-neck with the Jazz.
Of course, one of the Slovenian’s best finishes of the contest came in transition. With 4:38 left in the second quarter, James Johnson came over from behind to swat Gordon Hayward’s shot inside. From there, Rodney McGruder grabbed the rebound, took a dribble and passed it to Dragic down court. Dragic then raced to the basket and finished the tough play over Boris Diaw.
In addition to his 27 points on 10-of-21 shooting and six assists, the point guard also tallied four rebounds on the night.
2. J. Johnson Does It All
After putting together a very balanced effort against the Nuggets, James Johnson simply went off against Utah. While the versatile forward was very explosive when attacking the rim through the first two quarters, he really impacted the game in the second half. In fact, Johnson tallied 14 points, four rebounds and three assists after halftime, as he created for his teammates, nailed two 3-pointers, converted a tip-in and had this monster slam over Rudy Gobert late in the fourth. On the flip side of the ball, Johnson forced Hayward into a few misses, including the potential game-winning jumper as time expired.
To put it simply, the 29-year-old did a little bit of everything in what was his best performance in a HEAT uniform. Johnson finished with 24 points, six rebounds (three offensive), three assists and a steal.
3. Ellington Keeps Up His Hot Shooting
Remember how Wayne Ellington caught fire in the fourth quarter against the Nuggets? Well, Ellington carried that over to Thursday night, as he hit some very difficult shots early on against the Jazz. As a whole, the former UNC Tar Heel utilized screens to his advantage and moved very well off the ball. In total, Ellington scored 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-5 from three-point land.
Other Takeaways:
-Miami scored 64 points in the paint against one of the best defensive teams in the league. While Dragic and James Johnson contributed to that, so did Josh McRoberts. McRoberts was very aggressive and used the Euro-Step on a few occasions, including one where he hit a tough shot inside over the outstretched arm of Gobert.
The 6-foot-10 big ended up with a season-high 10 points on 5-of-10 shooting to go along with five boards.
Game Notes:
-Luke Babbitt (right hip flexor) left the game in the first quarter and did not return, while Derrick Williams (back spasms) sat out.
-Josh Richardson (sprained right ankle) flew back to Miami for treatment. Dion Waiters (pectineus tear) and Justise Winslow (sore left wrist) did not travel with the team.
Looking Ahead:
-Miami will complete its road trip on Saturday at 10:00 PM against the Trail Blazers. The team then returns home for a matchup with the Knicks on December 6 at 7:30 PM. Tickets for that game can be found here.
