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 Fortunately for the Miami Heat, the star guard wasn't about to
miss the final outing of their five-game road trip.
The Heat wrapped up a long road trip with a rare win at
EnergySolutions Arena, beating the Utah Jazz 100-95.
Wade hit three of four free-throws in the final nine seconds and
finished with a game-high 29 points to send Miami (11-12) back home
on a winning note.
Wade, who hit 10 of 16 shots and dished out seven assists. He was
listed as questionable, but the veteran leader didn't think twice
about sitting this one out.
"I wasn't close to not playing. A lot of my teammates have been sick
and they have all gutted it out," Wade said. "I had to do the same
thing. Get my rest, get my fluids, have some chicken noodle soup.
... I knew I was going to play all along."
Center Chris Bosh contributed 22 points and nine rebounds to help
the Heat beat the Jazz in Salt Lake City for the first time since
2010. The LeBron James-led Miami team lost three in a row to the
Jazz in Utah.
 "Most important thing is you find a way," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra
said. "And sometimes it's not going to be pretty. The fourth quarter
wasn't the best quarter."
The Jazz, who trailed the entire night, had a chance to send this
one into overtime after Wade missed a free throw with 5.5 seconds
that could've sealed it.
However, backup forward Joe Ingles couldn't inbound the ball in time
and was called for a five-second violation with 5.2 seconds
remaining. The Jazz had just used their last timeout to advance the
ball.
"I was doing jumping jacks. Jumping as high as I can just so he
couldn't see," Wade said. "It's tough to put a young fella in that
position as well. I have been there before. It went our way.
Sometimes in this league you just need things to go your way, and it
went our way at that point."
Center Enes Kanter scored 25 points with eight rebounds and small
forward Gordon Hayward added 18 points and eight boards. But the
Jazz, who beat San Antonio in their last game, lost for the 10th
time in 11 outings.
"I don't know what to say," Kanter said. "We have to bring some more
energy. ... That's it."
The Jazz played most of the night without starting center Derrick
Favors, who's been one of the bright spots in this rough rebuilding
season.
Favors sprained his right ankle with two minutes remaining in the
first quarter. He limped to the training room in pain and didn't
return. It's not certain how much more playing time he'll miss, if
any.
The Heat jumped out to an early lead and never fell behind after a
poor showing in Denver on Wednesday. Miami led Utah 62-47 at the
half, and seemed to have an answer for every Jazz run in the second
half.
Kanter cut the Heat's one-time lead of 16 to two with a soft jumper
early in the fourth quarter, but Miami was quick to respond with two
3-pointers. First, the 6-foot-4 Wade lofted a deep shot over the
outstretched arms of quickly approaching 7-foot-1 Rudy Gobert. Mario
Chalmers then sank a corner 3, giving the Heat a cushion at 89-81.
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Bosh seemed to give the Heat a safe lead after scoring with 58
seconds remaining, putting Miami up by six. Hayward cut into the
Heat's lead with two free throws at the 19-second mark. Down four,
the Jazz got an opportunity to make things really interesting after
small forward Luol Deng traveled on an inbound pass after a foul.
Hayward made a tough layup with 10.2 seconds remaining, bringing
Utah within two.
But Wade calmly sank two free throws with 9.7 seconds remaining and
then hit one of two.
Ingles hoped to find Hayward or point guard Trey Burke, both of whom
have hit game-winners off of his inbound passes this season.
"He is 6-8 and anytime you have height like that in that situation,
it's an advantage," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "He has rewarded
that confidence that we have in him. I think we just didn't execute
the play with enough force. They knocked us off and you need to do
what you need to do to get space and get free. Ingles has been
great."
Miami went 2-3 on its road trip. The Heat return home quickly for a
game Sunday against Chicago, head to Brooklyn for one road game and
return for a seven-game home stand.
The Jazz won't play at home again until Dec. 27. Utah begins its
annual pre-Christmas road trip Sunday at Washington followed by
stops in New Orleans, Miami, Orlando, Charlotte and Memphis.
 NOTES: Heat C Justin Hamilton made his second career start Friday.
The 7-footer played prep basketball at Utah powerhouse Lone Peak
High School, which is 37 miles south of Salt Lake City. ...
Hamilton's father, Larry, was a two-sport star for Utah-based BYU
and started at defensive tackle on the Cougars' 1984 NCAA
championship team. ... Miami F/C Chris Andersen (sprained ankle)
missed his ninth straight game and 14th of the season. F Josh
McRoberts (knee) sat out for the second game in a row. ... The Jazz
signed guard Patrick Christopher from the Iowa Energy of the
D-League on Wednesday. The former California standout was cut from
Memphis before the season started and has played internationally and
with Iowa.
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