Miami Heat-Utah Jazz Preview: Can Heat Bounce Back Against Struggling Jazz?
The Miami Heat (33-26) are back home for the first time since Feb. 11, hosting the Utah Jazz (27-33) on Saturday night.
The Heat fell to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, 103-97. Jimmy Butler (21 points), Bam Adebayo (22) and Terry Rozier (19) led the scoring attack for the Heat. Miami shot a mediocre 26.9 percent from three. Miami had won their previous five games.
Utah was also in action on Thursday, losing 115-107 to the Orlando Magic. John Collins, Collin Sexton and Keyonte George all scored a team-high 19 points. The Jazz have lost seven of their last eight games and sit in 11th place in the Western Conference.
Previous Matchups
The Jazz won the first matchup of the season 117-109.
Sexton led Utah with 22 points and five assists. Former Heat big man Kelly Olynyk notched 19 points, 10 assists and six rebounds off the bench.
The Heat faced adversity in the third quarter as Butler left with an injury. Adebayo dominated on both ends of the floor with 28 points, 16 rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Tyler Herro added 28 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Opposing Players to Watch
Lauri Markkanen is the centerpiece of the Utah offense. The NBA’s 2023 Most Improved Player is averaging 22.9 points, 8.3 rebounds while shooting 48.6 percent and 40.0 percent from three.
Sexton also plays a pivotal role for the Jazz. The starting point guard averages 17.9 points and 4.6 assists while shooting 48.4 percent and 40.1 percent from the arc. The 25-year-old had a 35-point, nine-assist performance against the Golden State Warriors earlier this month.
Key Matchup
Lauri Markkanen vs. Bam Adebayo
Ever since arriving in Utah, Markkanen has blossomed. Despite his impressive scoring production this season, the 7-footer struggled in his first meeting with the Heat (4-13, 12 points).
Adebayo, as he often does, shut down the opponent’s best player due to his 109.5 defensive rating (ninth-best in NBA).
Markkanen has struggled of late, scoring below his season average in his past two games.
Adebayo hopes to be the most recent addition to Markkanen’s misfortunes.
Nick Crandell is a staff contributor at Inside the Heat.
He can be reached at nick.crandell33@gmail.com or follow him on Instagram @nickcrandell
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