Heat cool Jazz

The Jazz, one of the NBA's hottest teams of late, were bound to cool a bit at some point.

As it happened, the Miami Heat were responsible for cranking the air conditioning Saturday night at the Delta Center.

Southeast Division-leading Miami beat Utah 100-94 behind 31 points from guard Dwyane Wade and the 14-rebound, 12-point double-double presence of Shaquille O'Neal, ending the victory streak of the Northwest Division-leading Jazz — who came in having won eight of their previous nine — at three straight while pushing the Heat's current run of wins to four in a row.

In large part, it's because coach Jerry Sloan's now 19-18 club was not willing to venture with enough gusto to where flames are fanned and games are won.

"A couple of times they touched us (and) we stepped back instead of trying to force the issue, and instead of putting pressure on the basket we stepped back so we could get something easy," Sloan said. "They (the Jazz) wanted to play where it was cool, and comfortable — (and) it got hot down there (in the paint) a few times.

"If you're going to play in this league, and win basketball games," Sloan added, "you've got to be willing to take it."

The 23-15 Heat were willing, as Miami — playing without starting point guard Jason Williams, who logged 36 minutes in a Friday-night win at Seattle but was a late scratch Saturday due to tendinitis in his right knee — won the battle of the boards 50-36.

O'Neal's 14 were complemented by nine apiece from starting forwards James Posey, who hurt the Jazz from the outside as well, and Udonis Haslem, and eight by Wade.

Shaq's offensive production may not have been up to par — he came in averaging 18.6 — but the Jazz seemed thrown by just knowing he was there.

"We couldn't do it with him inside," Sloan said. "We had three guys around him sometimes, and we still couldn't get him. That's who he is."

And when the Jazz's double- or triple-team coverage did dissuade O'Neal, he simply relied on his supporting cast, which included veteran Gary Payton closing at the point in Williams' absence.

"We did great help on Shaq — and (forgot) about our players," said forward Andrei Kirilenko, whose 25 points were a team-high. "James Posey? How many 3-pointers did he score? Five? And Antoine Walker had a couple."

Kirilenko was correct on both counts.