The Miami Heat (6-3) defeated the Utah Jazz (4-4) 92-91 on Thursday.
Both teams played without key pieces, as Dwyane Wade was forced to miss the contest due to a family matter, while Rudy Gobert was unable to shake off the effects of the rolled ankle he suffered versus the Cavaliers on Tuesday. In their absences, Chris Bosh and Derrick Favors elevated their already impressive games and put their respective teams’ offenses on their shoulders. Bosh filled the stat sheet with 25 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and four blocks, including a key stuff at the basket on a driving Alec Burks late in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Favors posted a 25-point,12-rebound double-double that also included an eye-popping seven blocks, three steals, and a pair of assists.
Favors’ gargantuan effort was supplemented by another excellent performance from Alec Burks off the Jazz bench. The fifth-year pro tallied his second consecutive 24-point performance on a season-high 35 minutes. Gordon Hayward enjoyed a 24-point night of his own, which marked a season high in scoring for the sixth-year pro. Unfortunately for Utah, starting shooting guard Rodney Hood was the only other player able to score in double figures, and he barely reached the benchmark with only 10 points.
The Jazz dropped to 4-4 and currently reside in third place in the Western Conference’s Northwest Division, pending the outcome of the ongoing Warriors-Timberwolves contest. They make the trek north for a road tilt versus Orlando on Friday.
In addition to Bosh’s standout night, Tyler Johnson rivaled Burks with a strong performance in a reserve role himself, pouring in 17 points and chipping in four rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal. Johnson’s efficient night helped to make up for the loss of Wade, as did Goran Dragic’s strong first-half performance. The Heat point guard was much quieter in the second half, but did make a couple of key free throws late in the game to finish as the only other Miami player with double-digit scoring (14 points).
The Heat improves to 6-3 on the season and remains in second place behind the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference’s Southeast Division. They now benefit from four full days off before facing the Minnesota Timberwolves next Tuesday.
