National Basketball Association
Utah 102, Miami 91
When: 8:00 PM ET, Saturday, November 12, 2016
Where: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Officials: #45 Brian Forte, #77 Karl Lane, #31 Scott Wall
Attendance: 19600

MIAMI -- The Utah Jazz might not be so eager to return home. Their recent trip lifted the Jazz to their best productive stretch of the young season.

Gordon Hayward scored 25 points as the Jazz completed a successful Eastern Conference road swing with a 102-91 victory over the Miami Heat on Saturday night.

The Jazz never trailed after Rodney Hood's jumper gave Utah a 29-28 lead 1:52 into the second quarter. Hood finished with 17 points.

Hayward shot 10 of 20 from the field and finished with nine rebounds as the Jazz ended 4-1 road trip. Hayward scored 20 points or better in each game during the trip, tying a career best.

"I'm trying to help us win games," Hayward said. "It's a huge road trip for us. It's been a while we've been this successful going out east so it's a big win."

Utah (7-4) extended a five-point lead halftime with 10 unanswered points to start the second half. Hood's 3-pointer with 8:28 remaining in the third period capped the run and stretched the Jazz's lead to 62-47.

"I think our guys knew what to expect in the second half and that we were going to need to defend and play hard," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "That is hopefully what our identity is and that is what we want to be."

Josh McRoberts' short jumper with 6:19 left in the period ended a Miami scoring drought that began with 1:39 remaining in the first half. The Heat (2-6) scored a season-low 12 points in the third quarter.

"I definitely wasn't expecting it and that's not who we are and who we've been for the last month," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. "It is disappointing. This league doesn't feel sorry for you so we gather ourselves, get on a plane (Sunday) and head to San Antonio."

Rudy Gobert's two free throws 2:45 into the fourth period gave the Jazz their first 20-point lead at 84-63.

Miami scored 10 unanswered points and got within 86-75 on Rodney McGruder's 3-pointer with 6:32 remaining in the fourth period.

The Jazz responded with another 10-0 run and secured the win. Hayward scored five points during the run and Joe Johnson's 3-pointer with 4:12 left capped the surge and increased Utah's lead to 96-75.

"We wanted to get stops and I think that's what we did," Hayward said of the Jazz's second-half performance. "We were able to guard and we were able to get some easy stuff. Kind of went from there."

James Johnson scored 15 points and Hassan Whiteside added 15 points and finished with 14 rebounds for the Heat, who lost their fourth straight.

"It always took effort and it always took talent," Whiteside said. "We just got to keep working. It's not easy to win in this league and we just got to keep working."

Heat guard Josh Richardson made his first start of the season, replacing injured point guard Goran Dragic. Richardson finished with 12 points.

Dragic, the Heat's second leading scorer with a 16.9 average, sprained his left ankle in Miami's loss against the Chicago Bulls Thursday night.

Forward Derrick Favors scored the Jazz's first three baskets but left the game midway through the first quarter and didn't return because of left knee discomfort.

"He didn't play for the majority of the preseason, as you know," Snyder said. "His health is just something we are monitoring."

NOTES: Utah PG George Hill missed his fourth consecutive game because of a sprained right thumb. ... The Jazz will finally enjoy home surroundings after completing a five-game road trip on Saturday. Utah begins a two-game home set against Memphis on Monday and Chicago Thursday. ... Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said G Wayne Ellington continues to improve from a right thigh contusion that has sidelined him since the last game of the pre-season. ... Spoelstra said Miami assistant coaches Dan Craig and Octavio De La Grana will receive championship rings at an upcoming Miami home game for their roles coaching the Sioux City Skyforce, the Heat's NBA D-League affiliate, to the league title last season. Craig was the Skyforce head coach and De La Grana served as an assistant.
Top Game Performances
 
Utah   Miami
Gordon Hayward 25 Scoring James Johnson 15
Gordon Hayward 4 Assists James Johnson 4
Rudy Gobert 12 Rebounds Hassan Whiteside 14
Rudy Gobert 6 Free Throws Made Hassan Whiteside 3
Rudy Gobert 2 Steals Josh Richardson 2
Rudy Gobert 2 Blocks Hassan Whiteside 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Utah 102 49.4 6-20 16-19 12 45 4 5 9
Miami 91 46.9 5-17 10-19 21 39 4 5 9
Upcoming Games
  • Miami will play their next game on the road against San Antonio. The Heat have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .333 after a loss.
  • Utah will play their next game at home against Memphis. The Jazz have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .800 after a loss.