The Miami HEAT defeated the Utah Jazz 103-102 Sunday afternoon at AmericanAirlines Arena. Tyler Johnson and Goran Dragić led the way for the HEAT with 16 points apiece.
1. J. Rich Wins It
If you’ve watched enough HEAT games this season, you should know that Josh Richardson has had somewhat of a breakout year.
Well, it’s time to add Sunday afternoon’s game to his list of notable performances.
Against Utah, Richardson led Miami with seven points in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning bucket that put the HEAT up 103-102 with 5.1 seconds left:
Clutch.
Of course, Richardson also did work on the defensive end and guarded multiple players throughout the contest. Down the stretch, the 24-year-old hung tough with Donovan Mitchell and forced him into this big turnover late that was initially ruled as Jazz ball:
When it was all said and done, Richardson totaled 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, a team-high seven assists, three rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
2. All-Around Outing For TJ
Although Tyler Johnson played well in the first half and beat the clock with this jam just before the first quarter buzzer…
…his six points on 3-of-5 shooting in the third quarter helped Miami stay in the game.
Naturally, he also nailed a big three in the fourth as the HEAT were mounting a comeback:
Also note the key offensive rebound there by Richardson.
In addition to his 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting, Johnson also had two boards, two assists and a team-high plus-nine rating.
3. Dragić Sticks With It
While Dragić had a slow start, he really picked up some steam in the third quarter with eight points, including this tough and-one over Ricky Rubio and Derrick Favors:
The Dragon simply continued to attack the basket in the fourth and also took advantage at the charity stripe.
In all, the Slovenian tallied six assists and three boards to go along with his 16 points.
Other Takeaways:
-After James Johnson got going in the second quarter with some great feeds and attacks to the basket, he nailed a huge step-back trey as the shot clock was winding down early in the fourth:
JJ finished with 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting, a team-high 11 rebounds and three assists.
Game Note:
-Justise Winslow (left knee strain) sat out. Dion Waiters (left ankle sprain), Okaro White (left foot surgery), Rodney McGruder (left tibia surgery), Derrick Walton Jr. (Sioux Falls assignment) and A.J. Hammons (Sioux Falls assignment) were inactive.
Looking Ahead:
-The HEAT will head out on a two-game road trip, which starts Tuesday night at 7:30 PM in Toronto. After facing the Pacers the following night, Miami will return home and get ready for its matchup with the Bucks on Sunday at 1:00 PM. Tickets for that game at AmericanAirlines Arena can be found here.