Jazz Begin Four Game Road Trip Looking For Heat Sweep
Feb 25, 2021, 7:03 PM | Updated: 7:06 pm
Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Jazz will play their first game of a four-game road trip Friday night against the Miami Heat.
The road trip represents the final four games of the first half of the regular season for the Jazz before entering the NBA All-Star break.
The Heat meanwhile will be on game two of a four-game homestand in their matchup with the Jazz. Miami beat the Toronto Raptors Wednesday night 116-108 in game one.
Jazz Hope To Cool Hot Heat Again
The Jazz stalled a four-game win streak for the Heat the last time these two teams played, and will look to repeat their success Friday night.
Miami lost in Utah 112-94 in the February 13 matchup at Vivint Arena thanks to 26 point outing by guard Donovan Mitchell.
The Jazz have won 22 of their last 24 games, including a pummeling of the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.
On tired legs, the @utahjazz turned in an dominant defensive effort to stifle the @miamiheat. #takenote https://t.co/EbPNjtJVX3
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 14, 2021
At 26-6, the Jazz own the best record in the NBA and would enter the All-Star break with the best record through the first half of the season with any win in their final four outings.
The Jazz lead the league in net rating at 9.9, rank fourth in offensive rating at 116.7 and second in defensive rating at 106.8. They are currently the only team to rank in the top-five of both offensive and defensive rating.
Heat Look To Keep Streak Alive
While the Jazz look to tigthen their stranglehold on the Western Conference, the Heat are looking to move up in the Eastern Conference standings.
Despite a slow start to the season, Miami sits at 15-17 on the year and currently owns the eighth-seed in the East.
However, the Heat are only a half game behind the fifth-seeded Raptors and one game behind the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers.
4th quarter Jimmy!
14 of his game-high 27 in the final 5 minutes of last night's win over Toronto. Light work.
🔥🎥 #HEATHighlights pic.twitter.com/8J8mBaLFr0— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) February 25, 2021
Miami has been bolstered over the last week by guard Jimmy Butler who is nearly averaging a triple-double during the four-game win streak.
Butler is averaging 19.8 points, 9.3 assists, and 7.8 rebounds over the last four games. The team also saw the return of guard Goran Dragic in their last game after missing nine consecutive games with an ankle injury.
Key Matchup
The key matchup between the Jazz and Heat will pit guards Kendrick Nunn and Donovan Mitchell against one another.
As mentioned, Mitchell scored 26 in the two teams last meeting. Nunn led the Heat in the matchup with 23 points on 8-15 shooting.
Mountain Mike with 8 points early 🗻🎤#TakeNote | @MCONLEY10 pic.twitter.com/1oxXjIx5zA
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) February 25, 2021
Both teams were without their starting point guards in February 13 contest. Dragic was still dealing with the lingering ankle injury while Jazz guard Mike Conley was in the midst of a six-game absence due to hamstring tightness.
Dragic scored 15 points and handed out three assists in his return for Miami while Conley is averaging 15 points and 4.3 assists in his last three games back in the starting lineup.
Broadcast
The Jazz and Heat will tip-off at 6 pm MT. The game will be broadcast on AT&T SportsNet.
