Miami Heat

Jeremy Rincon

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Highlights: Keyonte George – 31 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists,  6 3PM

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Highlights: Jazz 120 | Heat 126

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Ryan Kostecka

After being on the road for the better part of a month, Utah returned to the Delta Center for a rare Saturday afternoon game against Miami. A back-and-forth affair through three quarters, the Jazz broke through with an impressive final 12 minutes as they took down the Heat 117-109.&nbsp;

“That’s a really hard game to win,” head coach Will Hardy said postgame. “After being on the road for a long time and a 3 p.m. start time, that’s a really good team we just beat. … Really happy for our team. A really good team win. … The guys will get a little bit of rest tomorrow.”

Here are five things to know following the win.

1.) Team StrengthAfter being a hot topic over the past month, only one thing is certain with Hardy and his rotation

“Nothing is set in stone,” he said. “We could be the team that changes the starting lineup once every 10 days just based on a matchup. If we can get our team to think about that as something that’s OK, then that’s going to be great for us. … It’s a strength.”

Over the past few games, he’s settled on a 10-man rotation. He expanded to 11 against New Orleans, using Talen Horton-Tucker for a six-minute stint in the second half when he felt the team needed a spark. Saturday was back to “normal” as he played 10 guys, all of whom saw between 15-31 minutes.&nbsp;

Much like the rotation, Hardy is going with a matchup-based starting lineup. He’s changed starting lineups the last three games, focusing on the individual and team matchups above all else. With Miami smaller in stature, Hardy elected to start Simone Fontecchio at the forward spot instead of Walker Kessler. John Collins was moved to the center to match up with the Heat better.&nbsp;

2.) Keyonte Takes OverWith Utah’s two leading scorers struggling from the floor, the Jazz needed somebody to step up in the final 12 minutes. Still searching for a rhythm since returning from a foot injury a few games ago, Keyonte George found one in the fourth quarter and became that guy for Utah. 

George was sensational in the end, dropping 12 points and three assists in the final 12 minutes. He allowed the game to come to him, not forcing shots and punishing the Heat for leaving him open from beyond the arc. His poise down the stretch of the game and ability to bounce back after a difficult first half was good to see

He finished with 21 points, six rebounds, and two assists, shooting 6-of-10 from the field, 5-of-8 from three, and 4-of-5 from the free throw line.&nbsp;

“Keyonte was in a little bit of a funk early in the game, couldn’t find a rhythm,” Hardy said. “He kept his head, continued to play hard, and made a bunch of big plays for us down the stretch. He shifted his mindset during the game. … He was communicating really well in getting us organized. He made a few threes off the dribble, which extended their defense and gave us advantages.”

3.) Oh My, OchaiOchai Agbaji has become well-known for his high-flying dunks throughout his young career. Yet on Saturday afternoon, Agbaji put that elite athleticism to a different use.

With Miami’s Tyler Herro streaking down the court for an easy fast-break dunk, Agbaji never gave up on the play. At a full sprint to run him down, Agbaji met Herro at the rim and denied the dunk with a pretty one-handed block.&nbsp;

While the block was one of many Agbaji has had this season, Saturday afternoon’s against Herro might be his best.&nbsp;

4.) Bench Unit Ballin’While there was plenty of star power in the starting lineups on Saturday, the Jazz and Heat are also known for having some of the deepest teams in the league. They entered the game in the top eight in bench scoring, with Utah at 5th (41.9 ppg) and Miami at 8th (38.8).

Saturday was an impressive showing by Utah’s second unit as they got the better of the Heat. Not only did the Jazz surpass their nightly average, but they also got stops on defense as they outscored Miami 59-42.

Kelly Olynyk was the main protagonist, playing an all-around good game by finishing with 19 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds. Kessler was also very good off the bench, finishing with 10 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks. Jordan Clarkson and George also shined in the backcourt, combining for 30 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.&nbsp;

“We had seven guys in double figures, 29 assists. … The ball is moving around,” Hardy said. “We are playing a lot of different lineups. … It’s good to see us figure out a way to win on a night we didn’t shoot the ball well.”

5.) Home AgainWhen asked on Friday afternoon if he could remember the last time the Jazz played two consecutive games in the Delta Center, Kessler thought long and hard before admitting he couldn’t remember. 

Who could blame him? It was Nov. 25 and 27, back-to-back victories over the Pelicans.&nbsp;

The past month hadn’t been kind to the Jazz from a scheduling standpoint, as Utah played 11 of its last 16 games on the road. All of those games came in different cities.&nbsp;

That’s why Kessler and the Jazz believe that their three-game homestand couldn’t have come at a better time. They can return to their regular routines, see their families, sleep in their own beds, and find a rhythm in their personal life.&nbsp;

It paid off with a big win Saturday night.&nbsp;

“Our defense overall had been very good,” Hardy said. “I thought our halfcourt defense was pretty good tonight. … The lineup changes make the coverage change, and the guys did a good job communicating. The attention to detail was good.”

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"Hard Game to Win" — 5 Things to Know Following Utah's Win Over Miami

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Highlights: Collin Sexton – 22 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds

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Highlights: Heat 109 | Jazz 117

On the final night of a long six-game road trip, it wouldn't have been surprising if the Jazz came out somewhat lackluster against Miami. After all, that's human nature and typically what you see of teams after difficult road trips lasting that long.&nbsp;

But for those who've watched this Utah team all season, you knew that wouldn't happen. Behind a spirited effort in which the Jazz had a double-digit lead, fatigue set in over the final minutes, and Utah fell 119-115 to the Heat on Monday night.&nbsp;

Sometimes laughter is the best cure — at least in Lauri Markkanen's case.&nbsp;

After one of the worst shooting performances of his career against Charlotte two nights ago (3-for-22), Markkanen simply laughed off the bad game. He knew it was an outlier of what's been an All-NBA caliber season, and he knew he'd bounce back.&nbsp;

Markkanen got going early and often against Miami, finishing with 38 points, eight rebounds, and three steals on 14-of-26 shooting and 6-for-12 from deep. It was his 15th game this season of 30+ points. The Heat had no answer for the 7-footer as he showed off his scoring at all three levels, coming off screens to get to the rim while knocking down shots from beyond the arc.&nbsp;

"It got pretty ridiculous," he said about his off-game two nights ago. "You can't really do anything but laugh about that. I mean, they were all good looks; they felt fine. I guess it was just one of those nights. ... That kind of thing can happen."

While Markkanen had the bounce-back game, Simone Fontecchio had himself a career night, which came in the first half.&nbsp;

The sharpshooter from Italy showed why the Jazz are so high on him as he started knocking down shots from the second he got into the game. He finished with a career-high 23 points on 8-of-17 from the field — adding four rebounds in a career-high 30 minutes.&nbsp;

Most impressively, Fontecchio did a great job of getting to the rim instead of settling for deep threes off screens.&nbsp;

He looked comfortable putting the ball on the floor and dropping a little push shot in the lane, an aspect of his game that hasn't been seen often. That ability forced the Heat to defend him differently, and he made them pay by knocking down a career-high five threes.&nbsp;

Finishing out the last of a six-game road trip, the Jazz looked like a team worn out as they got blitzed early by the Heat. A Markkanen three cut the deficit to 10-7 before Miami went on a 21-12 run in the blink of an eye to lead 31-19 with just under two minutes to play in the quarter.&nbsp;

The game would've been much worse without Fontecchio, who single-handedly kept Utah in it by scoring 11 points in the first. His four-point play late in the quarter helped the Jazz find some rhythm as they ended the first on a 7-2 run.&nbsp;

Markkanen and Fontecchio continued their hot streak in South Beach when they combined to score Utah's first 18 points of the quarter as the Jazz opened the second on an 18-6 run. They each knocked down two threes, but most impressively, they stayed aggressive and had no issue putting the ball on the floor and attacking the rim.&nbsp;

The teams would then exchange buckets for most of the quarter until Miami caught fire late by turning up the pressure defensively. Forcing Utah into turnovers, the Heat got out in transition and cut into the deficit to end the half.&nbsp;

After Utah's lead stretched to eight following an Ochai Agbaji dunk, Bam Adebayo got a dunk, and Miami closed the quarter on a 7-0 run.

It was a three-point barrage in the opening minutes of the third as each team knocked down two of them in the first two minutes. An 8-3 run by Miami gave them the lead, but Markkanen answered with a three and a dunk as the Jazz retook the lead with nine left in the third.&nbsp;

Utah would later take a five-point lead, but the Heat kept battling back, tying the game at 85 with under two minutes following a 5-0 run. After the teams exchanged buckets, Rudy Gay hit a big three with 30 seconds remaining before Adebayo capped off his big quarter with a three-point play.&nbsp;

The game was tied at 90 after three.&nbsp;

The fourth quarter was full of action and drama, as no team led by more than five points as the lead was exchanged 13 times in 12 minutes.&nbsp;

After a pair of free throws to start the fourth gave Miami the momentum, Gay hit another big three for the first lead change of the quarter. Another Gay bucket a few minutes later gave the Jazz a one-point lead, but the Heat answered with a 6-0 run on threes by Kyle Lowry and Victor Oladipo.

Utah kept battling, responding with a 7-0 run as threes by Markkanen and Fontecchio gave the Jazz a two-point lead with less than five to play. Jimmy Butler would answer with a three of his own, and the Heat were back up one.&nbsp;

Following nearly three minutes of scoreless play, Talen Horton-Tucker got a clutch layup to drop as Utah took its final lead with just over a minute to play. Tyler Herro answered with a three, and the Jazz trailed by two. They had a chance to tie the game, but Adebayo blocked Agbaji's shot at the rim with six seconds left, ending the comeback attempt.&nbsp;

Agbaji finished with 14 points and four rebounds, while Horton-tucker chipped in nine points, eight assists, and six rebounds. Gay finished with eight points — all of which came in those four minutes — while Kris Dunn added nine points, eight assists, and five rebounds.&nbsp;

Utah finally gets the break it desperately needs, having four days off before returning to host the Celtics on Saturday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. MT.

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"That Kind Of Thing Can Happen" | Fatigue Sets In As Jazz Come Up Just Short In Loss To Miami

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Highlights: Jazz 115 | Heat 119

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Highlights: Lauri Markkanen – 38 points, 8 rebounds, 6 3PM

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<strong>Tonight's game against the Golden State Warriors has been postponed. <a href="https://www.nba.com/jazz/news/utah-jazz-vs-golden-state-warriors-postponed">Learn More &gt;</a></strong>