Utah Jazz: Same 'ol, same 'ol in another loss

MIAMI — Christmas on the 25th. Road woes back East. Another loss in Miami.

Some things never change, and Wednesday night had to feel like same ol', same ol' for the Jazz after an 80-70 loss to the Heat in American Airlines Arena at the tail end of yet another disastrous holiday trip.

It was the lowest-scoring game since January of 2006 against San Antonio for 16-13 Utah, which has lost two straight and six of its last 11 games.

It also was the seventh straight loss in Miami and the 11th defeat in its last 12 games against the Heat for the Jazz.

And it didn't soften the blow whatsoever that it came in the fifth game and ninth day of a 2-3 road trip that began with a win at New Jersey way back on Dec. 16, but also included a blowout loss at Atlanta and Monday's fourth-quarter collapse at Orlando.

"You can use excuses, but you've got to want it more than that," point guard Deron Williams. "I think it's more mental than physical. You want to get home — but you want to try to win before you go home."

The Jazz didn't come close to that Wednesday.

Certainly not after Miami, up 39-38 at the time, used an 18-2 run in the third quarter to take control.

The Heat never let its lead slip below double digits after that.

"That was the game right there," said Jazz forward Carlos Boozer, who opened 5-for-6 from the field and scored Utah's first 12 points — but shot 1-for-8 the rest of the way en route to a sub-par 14-point night in the city he calls home.

"We stopped doing what we were doing in the first half," Williams added. "You know, regardless of how bad you shoot or how many times you turn the ball over you still have to have that defensive effort — and we didn't have that in the third quarter."

Heat star Dwyane Wade finished with a game-high 29 points on 12-for-28 shooting, including eight — an alley-oop dunk fed by former Utah guard Carlos Arroyo, and three jumpers — during the decisive run.

Whether it was Williams or C.J. Miles or rookie Wesley Matthews, it didn't matter who — or how — the Jazz defended Wade.

"He's a great player, and is known to hit tough shots," said Williams, who scored a team-high 18 while shooting 7-for-10. "It happens."