Jazz’ Jusuf Nurkic keeps triple-double streak going in loss to Heat

The Utah Jazz lost 147-116 to the Miami Heat on Saturday at the Delta Center, dropping to 1-2 on their current homestand. In an otherwise abysmal outing, veteran center Jusuf Nurkic was the only bright spot for Utah, making history by recording his third consecutive triple-double. He became the first player in franchise history to accomplish such a streak. In 31 minutes on the court, Nurkic notched 17 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists, plus a steal and a block.

Nurkic achieved a 16-18-10 triple-double against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, the second for a Jazz player in 16 years and the first since Jordan Clarkson in 2024. He then followed it up with a 14-assist triple-double versus the San Antonio Spurs, Utah’s first back-to-back triple-double effort since Pete Maravich in New Orleans

Saturday’s performance gave the 31-year-old his fourth career triple-double, with three coming in just the past week, placing him among the rare group of NBA players to achieve back-to-back-to-back triple-doubles. Nurkic is one of only three players this season, alongside Nikola Jokic and Jalen Johnson, to produce three consecutive triple-doubles. His feat moved him into a tie with Andrei Kirilenko and Karl Malone for the third-most triple-doubles in Jazz history, behind only Pete Maravich (7) and Mark Eaton (6). The Bosnian big man is averaging 11.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.3 blocks over 26.5 minutes in 36 games this season.

As good as Nurkic was on Saturday, Utah struggled collectively, particularly on the boards. Miami leveraged a massive rebounding advantage, 64-34, with 26 offensive boards translating into 23 points off second-chance plays. It was only the eighth time in franchise history the Heat had recorded 26 or more offensive boards in a game.

The Jazz’s poor shot-making only worsened their situation. Utah converted just seven of 25 attempts from three-point range, including a 0-for-8 outing from Keyonte George and 0-for-5 from Ace Bailey. Brice Sensabaugh led the team with 23 points off the bench. George and Nurkic scored 19 and 17 points, respectively. Only Sensabaugh hit from downtown, making the Jazz’s spacing issues all the more obvious against Miami’s defense, which normally allows 14.1 made threes per game

Utah held its ground early, trailing 35-34 after the opening quarter, with the Heat shooting just 39 percent from the field. However, thanks to their control of the offensive glass, Miami carried a 73-52 lead into the break. The Jazz attempted to rally in the third quarter, shooting 61.5 percent in the frame and scoring 37 points, but the Heat maintained a 19-point cushion heading into the fourth. Utah’s final quarter shooting fell to 29.2 percent, allowing Miami to extend the lead to 29 points before the final buzzer.

The Jazz will look to bounce back on Tuesday night when they host the Los Angeles Clippers.

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