Miami Heat look to keep things rolling vs Utah Jazz
By Ehsan Kassim
Preview of the Miami Heat’s matchup against the Utah Jazz.
Heat (22-14) @ Jazz (15-20)
Where: EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
When: Monday, January 9, 9:00 PM EST
Watch: FS-SUN, NBA League Pass
After seeing their three-game winning streak snapped at home on Wednesday night at the hands of the New York Knicks, the Miami Heat started a new winning streak last night, taking down the Phoenix Suns in the first game of a 6-game west coast trip.
The Heat will look to extend their winning streak to two games before they take on the Golden State Warriors on Monday. The Utah Jazz will stand in the Heat’s way on Saturday night, the second game of a back-to-back.
When the two team’s matched up earlier this year, the Heat defeated the Jazz by a point, in a close 92-91 win at home. Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward scored 25 and 24 respectively for the Jazz. Chris Bosh scored 25 and Tyler Johnson chipped in with 17 points with Dwyane Wade missing the game due to his son being hospitalized.
Matchup to Watch: Gordon Hayward vs Justise Winslow
The Heat had a 13-point lead at half-time that quickly turned into a 6-point deficit in the third quarter. They again lost the lead in the fourth quarter, but Heat coach Eric Spolestra made an adjustment that was the turning point.
He put Justise Winslow on point guard Eric Bledsoe and the game quickly turned in the Heat’s favor.
Winslow has looked like a player much more experienced than the 19-year old he is defensively. Night after night, he is asked to defend the best player on the opposing team. And night after night, Winslow delivers for the Heat.
Winslow’s next challenge will be Gordon Hayward, another young star player Winslow could be guarding late in a close game.
Heyward has averaged 18.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game on 42 percent shooting. His numbers are down from last years 19.3 points on 45 percent shooting from last year, but he is still a viable threat to go off on a given night.
X-Factor: Dwyane Wade
Wade has missed just one game during the 2015-2016 season, and coming off a 27-point performance on Friday night against the Phoenix Suns that required him to play 33 minutes.
Since Wade’s abysmal 3-of-16 shooting against the Hawks on the second night of a back-to-back, Wade has averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 assists, and 5 rebounds on 48 percent shooting over three games. If he can continue that trend, the Heat would be well positioned to take their second straight game on their current road trip.
More heat: Dragic Thrives in Return to Phoenix
Key Stats:
Miami Heat offensive efficiency: 11th, 103.0 points per 100 possessions
Miami Heat defensive efficiency: 6th, 98.9 points per 100 possessions
Utah Jazz offensive efficiency: 15th, 102.0 points allowed per 100 possessions
Utah Jazz defensive efficiency: 19th, 103.9 points allowed per 100 possessions