Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Kelly Olynyk and Jazz take down the Heat

After missing four games in a row with a calf strain, Jimmy Butler hurt his right foot in his return as the Heat dueled with the rebuilding Jazz in Utah, changing leads 25 times before defeat. No squad was ever ahead by more than eight points.

Productive nights from Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro couldn’t save the squad from former Heatle Kelly Olynyk, who showed up the visitors in the second half with inside finishes and eight feeds for his teammates.

Nikola Jovic started at power forward, and RJ Hampton got his second consecutive start at point guard, but each played less than 10 minutes. Kyle Lowry (head contusion), Caleb Martin (ankle), and Josh Richardson (back) were absent.

Herro hit four of Miami’s first six baskets, attacking the low man in the zone and pulling up from midrange. The rest of his teammates converted six of 14 baskets in the interval, but the obvious missing ingredient to the offense was Butler, who didn’t have a field goal attempt.

In the second quarter, Butler logged nearly the last eight minutes but only made one basket- a catch-and-shoot jumper at the elbow- as the Heat made three of its final 10 buckets. The squad struggled to drain threes against the zone and in transition. If not for Adebayo’s sweet shooting in the lane, the evening would have turned ugly for the Heat earlier.

For the Jazz, Collin Sexton worked around screens, slicing into the paint like a freshly forged blade piercing flesh. Olynyk burned the Heat with a pump fake and drive to the basket, plus a deep jumper and a hook at close range.

At halftime, the visitors were down 53-54, having registered just four second chance and three fastbreak points. It had an edge in rebounding by four and free throw attempts by five, yet behind on field goals by 10. The reserve crew had 20 points, and Utah’s produced 26.

In the third quarter, Butler slipped a ghost screen for a three-foot layup assisted by Jovic and was fouled twice on a roll to the basket and transition attack. He then left with an injury to his right foot after almost six minutes and didn’t come back.

Still, in the third frame, the Heat supplied 35 points. Adebayo created contact by faking Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler into the air and driving through his man for free throw attempts. And Kevin Love, Duncan Robinson, Herro and Jovic each recorded a trifecta.

On the other side, the unexpected Heat killer was Simone Fontecchio, breaking Jovic and Robinson down with his dribble for layups.

In the fourth quarter, rookie Jazz man Keyonte George scored a dozen, cutting back door and lighting up the Heat with three triples. John Collins also hit two bangers- both at the right corner with Robinson and Adebayo contesting. Olynyk added four points and five dimes as the Heat went to a zone late.

The Heat’s offense fell apart in the fourth, notching a third of its tries and none from deep. Jaime Jaquez Jr. missed a five-foot layup that’s fallen all year and had another shot spiked by Fontecchio at the cup. The only Miami player to make more than one bucket in the period was Jamal Cain (three).

The Jazz won 117-109, led by Olynyk’s 19 points on eight of 12 shots, with 10 assists and six rebounds. Sexton scored 22 points, and George contributed 21.

After the game, Love embraced his old Cavalier teammates, Sexton and Markkanen, while Adebayo, and Robinson caught up with Kelly Olynyk and Ömer Yurtseven.

George handled the on-court interview. When asked about his scorching fourth quarter, he said, “It’s about staying ready…staying locked in. The ball went in for me tonight.”