This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Miami • A disastrous third quarter sunk the Jazz on the shores of Biscayne Bay, as they fell 105-89 to the defending champion Miami Heat on Saturday.
The Jazz (14-14) trailed by only four at halftime, but the wheels came off in the third when they were outscored 26-20 and fell behind by as much as 20.
Miami opened the quarter on an 8-0 run in the first minute and a half of the third, including back-to-back 3s by Shane Battier.
The Jazz, playing the second half without point guard Mo Williams, cut it to 10, and were back within 10 in the final minutes of the fourth before back-to-back 3-pointers by LeBron James and Mike Miller capped a 14-0 run.
Williams missed the second half with a sprained right thumb. Results of an X-ray were negative.
There was no miracle comeback for the Jazz, like the last time they were in Miami in Novermber 2010. That year, Paul Millsap score a career-high 46 points, including 3-pointers in the final minutes of regulation.
James scored 30 points and flirted with a triple-double, adding nine rebounds and seven assists. He scored more than 20 points for the 24th game, becoming the first player to do so in the first 24 games of a season since Karl Malone in 1989-90.
Marvin Williams scored 16 points to lead the Jazz, but 12 of those came in the first quarter and the first-year Jazz small forward was held to 27 minutes.
The Jazz head to Orlando for Sunday's game against the Magic to wrap up a four-game road trip.
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