SALT LAKE CITY — Dwayne Wade scored a season-high 29 points, including three free throws in the final 9 seconds, to help the Miami Heat beat the Utah Jazz 100-95 on Friday nght.
Chris Bosh had 22 points and Luol Deng added 14 for the Heat, who closed a five-game road swing on a winning note after losing five of their previous six.
Enes Kanter scored 25 points, Gordon Hayward had 18 and Alec Burks 16 for Utah, which has lost 10 of its last 11 games.
Wade’s final free-throw attempt with 5.2 seconds left rimmed out, leaving the score 98-95 and giving the Jazz a chance to tie. However, Joe Ingles failed to get the ball in bounds within 5 seconds after a time out, turning the ball back over to the Heat. Norris Cole was then fouled and made both free throws with 2.1 seconds remaining for the final margin.
Bosh broke a nearly 4-minute drought with a jumper at the 58-seond mark to put Miami in front, 95-89.
The Heat had to overcome a rare out-of-bounds travel by Deng and four quick points by Hayward along with a layup by Rodney Hood before the last-gasp inbounding gaffe.
After the Jazz trimmed the edge to one point in the fourth quarter, Wade and Mario Chalmers made back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Heat back in command until the final minute.
Down by 16 points in the third quarter, the Jazz stormed back behind the slim, shot-blocking combo of Jeremy Evans and Rudy Gobert. Dante Exum’s 3-pointer at the end of the period completed a 15-3 run and closed the gap to 78-74.
Wade had scored 20 or more points in nine consecutive games but then had two subpar outings, before the outburst against the Jazz.
Early on, the Heat encountered little resistance to their drive-and-dish offence, which produced a multitude of open shots in the first half. Miami shot 63 per cent and led 62-47 at the break.
The Heat finished 50 per cent from the field.
TIP-INS
Heat: Miami’s 62 first-half points were the most the Heat have scored in an away game this season and the 63 per cent shooting was the best of any half, as well. … Starting PF Josh McRoberts missed the game with a bruised right knee and Chris Andersen was out with a sprained right ankle. … Justin Hamilton, who played high school in Utah, filled in for McRoberts and had nine points, including two key baskets in the fourth quarter.
Jazz: Favours limped off the court for the locker room after twisting his right ankle in the first quarter and did not return. The Jazz have gone 0-10 without Favours in the lineup over the past two years. … The Jazz outrebounded the Heat 44-35. … Without Favours for much of the game, Gobert posted a season highs in rebounds (11) and career highs in blocks (5) and assists (4).
UP NEXT
Heat: Host Chicago on Sunday.
Jazz: At Washington on Sunday.
