Uta 25 18 20 26 89
Mia 28 19 26 32 105
Date of game: 12/22/2012

Recap: Miami vs. Utah

Miami, FL (Sports Network) - LeBron James poured in 30 points to go with nine rebounds and seven assists as the Miami Heat took care of the Utah Jazz, 105-89, on Saturday at American Airlines Arena.

James shot 11-for-20 from the floor and scored at least 20 points for the 29th consecutive game. Dwyane Wade netted 21 points and added six rebounds and seven assists for the Heat, who improved to an impressive 13-2 at home this season and have won four straight overall.

Shane Battier started in place of Chris Bosh, who missed the game due to illness, and finished with 15 points for Miami. Ray Allen donated 13 points in the victory.

"That is a physical team, and without Bosh, guys really stepped up," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We had a good burst in the third. We had some good defensive plays and Shane was able to knock down some shots off our good defense."

Marvin Williams netted a team-high 16 points, while Gordon Hayward finished with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting for the Jazz, who have dropped four of their last five.

Paul Millsap and Derrick Favors chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively, in the setback.

The sides traded baskets for most of the first quarter as an easy slam by Udonis Haslem off a nice feed from Miller tied things at 19-19 with 2:47 to go in the stanza.

Following a Utah timeout, Mike Miller came up with a steal and Norris Cole drained a trey to give the Heat a slim 22-19 lead and the home side held a 28-25 advantage after one quarter.

A dunk by Joel Anthony early in the second session gave the Heat a 35-29 lead, but the Jazz stayed close for the duration of the frame as a free throw by Hayward following a technical foul on James pulled the Jazz within 45-43 with 32.2 ticks on the clock.

Millsap missed on Utah's final possession of the half, which led to an 18- footer by Haslem at the other end, giving Miami a 47-43 lead at halftime.

The Heat broke the game open in the third quarter, opening the stanza with a 13-2 run, capped by a pair of James free throws to make it a 60-45 game with 8:40 on the third-quarter clock.

James dominated the quarter, scoring 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including an easy finger roll with 4:20 to go in the session, giving the Heat a 69-49 advantage.

Utah would not go quietly, however, and closed the quarter with a 14-4 burst to cut the deficit to 73-63 heading into the final period.

Jamaal Tinsley drained a deep trey early in the fourth to pull the Jazz within seven, but the visitors would not get any closer and the Heat pulled away, leading by as many as 23 down the stretch.

"They came out with a nice run in the third quarter. It was a close game until then," Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. "We had to fight our way back in it. We didn't have out pace and as a result we turned the ball over."

Game Notes

The Heat improved to 13-4 over their last 17 matchups with the Jazz ... Miami has scored more than 100 points in each of their past four wins ... The Heat shot 52.1 percent from the floor, while holding the Jazz to 41.1 percent ... The contest featured five lead changes and three ties ... Utah turned the ball over 20 times, leading to 26 Miami points.

In the FCS Huddle: FCS conference rankings

North Dakota State may be staking its claim as the Alabama of the FCS, but there's no Southeastern Conference running roughshod over the FCS.

NASCAR News
Jarrett, Petty among new inductees into the NASCAR HOF

Former Sprint Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett and legendary engine builder Maurice Petty were among those selected in the 2014 class of inductees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Rockies send Rutledge to Triple-A

The Colorado Rockies optioned Josh Rutledge, the team's regular second baseman for the majority of this season, to Triple-A Colorado Springs following Wednesday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Canucks ax Vigneault, rest of coaching staff

The Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday fired head coach Alain Vigneault along with assistants Rick Bowness and Newell Brown, in the wake of a disappointing first-round playoff exit.

Latest Sports Photos
Latest Sports Photos
0 Votes
SEC Champions Alabama created by artist Ben Teeter S/N C.O.A. available for the dedicated Alabama fan!

1 Vote
first catch of the season looks like a good year

0 Votes
Gina McLeroy Spring City, TN

0 Votes
Our Son Brandon McLeroy MTSU Football 2011 Gina McLeroy Spring City TN

1 Vote
this is James Howard telling Gracie what to do.

0 Votes
Riverbend fun!

0 Votes
I nees a four letter word for the outside layer of a tree.

0 Votes
Cameron is a rising athlete. He has a God given talent for the game of football. This picture is of him stopping the ball carrier in our game in the ...

1 Vote
Our Lookout Valley 9/10 year old team went to a tournament in Knoxville called The Battle of the Rocky Top. They went throught the tournament undefeated and won the championship ...

1 Vote
The Lookout Valley 9-10 year old team traveled to Knoxville, playing in a national youth football tournament. They defeated a team from Chicago to win the championship. These young men ...
LOCAL Deals
www.mortgage-south.com
Click here to learn more about the worry-free mortgage!
www.firstvolunteer.com
Meet the bank with personality to help with your home, car or business dreams today!
Stay Connected with WDEF News 12
 
Inergize Digital This site is hosted and managed by Inergize Digital.