NEW DELHI: Jimmy Butler led the Miami Heat to a hard-fought 126-120 victory over the visiting Utah Jazz with a fantastic performance that included a season-high 37 points. In a fiercely contested game that included 11 ties and 21 lead changes, Butler’s scoring explosion—especially his 25 points in the second half—proved decisive.
Keyonte George of Utah scored a solid 31 points, falling just two points short of his career high that he had established earlier in February.
George’s accurate shooting, especially from beyond the arc, where he made 6 of 14, helped the Jazz stay in the game as they made 14 of 35 deep shots. Lauri Markkanen had a fantastic game for Utah as well, scoring 25 points and making 11 of his 12 free-throw tries while shooting well from the field. Markkanen also contributed a team-high six assists.
Miami fought back behind Butler’s heroics, and the Jazz, who had gone on a 9-0 run right before halftime and started the second half with a seven-point run to establish an 11-point lead in the third quarter, were unable to hold onto their lead. In key times, Butler delivered big plays to thwart Utah’s attempts to cut the lead, including a game-winning three-pointer with 1:11 left to play that sealed the Heat’s triumph.
In addition to Butler’s outstanding performance, Terry Rozier added 14 points and a game-high eight assists, and Bam Adebayo added 23 points and seven rebounds for Miami. With 12 points and six assists, Duncan Robinson, beginning in lieu of Tyler Herro, who was injured, contributed. The Heat’s offence was clicking; they hit 46 field goals, 33 of which came off assists, demonstrating their ball movement and togetherness.
Caleb Martin, who scored 18 points, and Jaime Jaquez Jr., who added 12 points off the bench, were also important contributors for Miami. Martin made 4 of 6 three-pointers, demonstrating his exceptional effectiveness when shooting from beyond the arc.
