In a gritty contest characterized by turnovers and poor shooting, the Miami Heat defeated the Utah Jazz 97-92 on Thursday night. Tyler Herro led the way with 23 points, and rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. chipped in 20, including five crucial points in the final 1:03, to secure Miami’s second consecutive win.
Both teams struggled offensively throughout the game, combining for 31 turnovers and shooting below 40% from the field. Despite the offensive woes, the Heat capitalized on transition opportunities, outscoring the Jazz 17-7 in fast-break points and making key hustle plays in crunch time.
Herro’s consistent scoring, which included setting a franchise record with his 70th consecutive game with at least one made three-pointer, steadied the Heat. Jaquez delivered in clutch moments, including a pivotal three-pointer in the final minutes.
For Utah, Collin Sexton and Lauri Markkanen each scored 23 points. However, the Jazz’s turnover issues and injuries to key players—including Jordan Clarkson (foot), John Collins (hip), Keyonte George (heel), and Brice Sensabaugh—proved too much to overcome.
The Jazz had trimmed the Heat’s lead to 90-88 and successfully challenged a foul call on Walker Kessler. But after losing the ensuing jump ball, the Heat capitalized with a Jaquez three-pointer, giving Miami a five-point cushion with just over a minute to play. The Jazz could not recover from the late blow.
Miami showed resilience after a blowout loss to Utah in the first game of Jimmy Butler’s seven-game suspension. The Heat have steadily improved, narrowly losing in double overtime to Sacramento before notching back-to-back wins against Golden State and Utah. Kevin Love missed the game for personal reasons, but his emotional leadership has reportedly galvanized the team during Butler’s absence.
Utah’s turnover woes continued, as they committed 17 giveaways—many of them unforced. Despite their struggles, the Jazz fought hard in the final minutes but fell short, extending their home losing streak to nine games.
Herro’s streak of games with at least one three-pointer reached 70, breaking Duncan Robinson’s franchise record of 69 games set in 2021.
The Jazz remain the league’s worst team at protecting the ball, and their 17 turnovers on the night were costly.
The Heat (19-17) continue their road trip with a game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday. The Jazz (9-27), looking to snap their losing streak, will face the Phoenix Suns in an afternoon matchup that same day.
