Heat at Jazz
Miami's season-worst three-game losing streak evaporated with Jimmy Butler back on the floor and the Heat take aim at recording another win when they visit the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. Butler missed two games with a shoulder injury and returned to record 21 points and 10 rebounds in Monday's 113-101 road win over the Golden State Warriors.
Butler also had five assists and said he played Monday because his team needed him while coach Erik Spoelstra sure felt smarter with his All-Star swingman back in gear. "We look like a totally different team when our max player is out there." Spoelstra said afterward. "He makes it look a little bit smoother, a little bit more settled with our offense. The ball gets to the right places. He finds a way to get to the free-throw line. All these things that are necessary when you want to win on the road." Utah won its past three games and built a 21-point halftime lead on Monday before settling for a 123-119 road victory over the Dallas Mavericks. "We've been on the wrong end of those, where they come back and take the lead," Jazz All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell told reporters. "The biggest thing is we weren't like scared. We weren't like, 'Here he go again.' How do we fix it and we continued to push forward."
TIME: 9 p.m. ET. TV: FS Sun, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain
ABOUT THE HEAT (35-18): Veteran forward Jae Crowder collected 21 points, eight rebounds and three steals against Golden State for his second strong game since being acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies. Crowder is averaging 19.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals as well as knocking down 9-of-16 3-pointers while quickly fitting in with the team. "It feels good just to get out there and play with the guys and compete at a high level," Crowder told reporters.
ABOUT THE JAZZ (35-18): Utah's three wins have come by an average of 2.7 points and it follows a season-worst five-game slide in which the team allowed at least 124 points in three of the setbacks. "It's been an interesting two weeks," Mitchell said. "That's what good teams go though, you have a little rough stretch and you bounce back." Mitchell and forward Bojan Bogdanovich each scored 23 points but backup guard Jordan Clarkson was the high scorer with 25 points one day after he scored 30 in a 114-113 road win over the Houston Rockets.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Heat won five of the past six meetings, including a 107-104 home win on Dec. 23.
2. Utah All-Star C Rudy Gobert was 7-of-7 shooting while contributing 17 points and 16 rebounds versus Dallas.
3. Miami backup PF Kelly Olynyk recorded a career-best 11 assists along with 12 points and six rebounds against the Warriors.