MIAMI — With Dwyane Wade out for family reasons, the Miami Heat turned to their other All-Star mainstay from their back-to-back championship seasons.
Forward Chris Bosh scored 25 points and the Heat defeated the Utah Jazz, down starting center Rudy Gobert, 92-91 on Thursday night at the AmericanAirlines Arena.
Heat guard Tyler Johnson hit a jump shot with 38.1 seconds remaining to bump the Heat lead back up 88-84 after Jazz guard Alec Burks hit a layup to trim the deficit to two. Johnson also hit a layup on the Heat’s previous possession.
Bosh, who also recorded eight rebounds and four assists, had a key block on a layup attempt by Burks with 19.9 seconds remaining.
Miami starts its seven-game homestand with a third consecutive win. Utah drops its second in a row on a four-game road trip that’s part of an opening stretch to the season with 10 of 14 games away from home.
Miami started the fourth quarter on a 13-4 run after the teams were tied after three.
Forward Derrick Favors led the Jazz with 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting, 12 rebounds and seven blocks.
Johnson came off the bench to handle the primary scoring duties vacated by Wade with 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting. He also had four rebounds and three assists. Guard Goran Dragic added 14 points and made four of his six free throws in the waning possessions to put the game away.
Burks and Hayward each had 24 points. Burks hit a 3-pointer as time expired but it was a moot point with the Jazz down four. Hayward added 11 rebounds.
Center Hassan Whiteside was kept to a modest nine points but did grab 14 rebounds. He struggled in individual matchups with Favors.
The Jazz were held to 38.2-percent shooting from the field, including 4-of-17 on 3-pointers. Utah missed its first nine shots from beyond the arc in the first half before Burks hit one on the opening possession after halftime.
The two teams exchanged baskets for most of the third quarter and were tied at 66 after Miami led 46-45 at halftime when a review of a basket by forward Luol Deng.
Rookie Heat guard Josh Richardson got the first start of his career in place of Wade and scored eight first-quarter points on Thursday.
Jazz rookie forward Trey Lyles similarly got a first career start and registered two points and five rebounds in 18 minutes.
Guard Beno Udrih, recently traded to the Heat from the Memphis Grizzlies debuted for Miami at the 1:05 mark of the first quarter. Udrih had two points, three rebounds and an assist in 17 minutes.
NOTES: Heat G Dwyane Wade was inactive Thursday while accompanying his son to the hospital. “His son is OK, but Dwyane is going to be with him tonight,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. … G Gerald Green (suspension) was the other inactive Heat player. With Wade out, the Heat started rookie G Josh Richardson for the first time in his career. … Jazz C Rudy Gobert (left ankle sprain) was inactive after coach Quin Snyder called him a game-time decision in a pregame press conference. Gobert started all seven games before sitting out Thursday. … In Gobert’s absence, rookie Jazz F Trey Lyles made his first career start and C Jeff Withey was activated for the first time since the opener against the Indiana Pacers. … The Heat continue their homestand against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. … The Jazz visit the Orlando Magic on Friday for the second night of a back-to-back.