Gordon Hayward took yet another step forward in his sixth NBA season, and his third as a full-time starter for the Utah Jazz.

As he looks forward to season No. 7, we’re taking a look back at his Top 5 best performances from Year 6. Halfway through this list is a terrific 34-point outburst by G-Time to lead the shorthanded Jazz over a playoff-caliber foe.

No. 3: Gordon Splashes 34 to Extinguish Heat

With his team in a bit of a skid after a tough trip through Texas, Gordon Hayward stepped up on a Saturday night in Salt Lake City to deliver a signature home win over a playoff bound Miami Heat team on Jan. 9.

In one of his highest scoring games of the season, Gordon erupted for a game-high 34 points and added four rebounds and an assist in Utah’s 98-83 drubbing of one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. G-Time was locked in for most of the night and his aggressive mindset helped energize his teammates.

“I knew I needed to be aggressive throughout the game…just an aggressive mindset” Gordon said. “Once I saw a couple go in, the basket opened up a little more and I was able to get some more. Everything slows down and the game comes easier. Things were going in for me.”

Miami Heat v Utah Jazz

No. 20’s impressive night started with a slam set up by a behind-the-back pass from Rudy Gobert to give the Jazz an early 6-4 edge. Miami pulled out to a six-point lead with about five minutes remaining in the first, but Gordon’s layup cut the deficit to four at the 4:43 mark.

The Heat went on a 10-2 run late in the opening frame to pull ahead by 10, and although Hayward knocked down a floating jumper to make it a 27-19 game with a minute remaining, Miami still managed to take a 10-point advantage into the second.

The Jazz started to claw their way back in the second quarter, although they couldn’t completely erase the deficit before the half. It was a relativity quiet quarter for H20, but late in the frame, Raul Neto connected with a wide open Hayward, who knocked down a triple right in front of Utah’s bench to make it a 47-44 game with less than a minute and a half left in the second. At the break, Utah trailed by four.

After a decent start, Gordon’s true impact on the game came in the second half. He racked up 23 of his 34 points after halftime and his tenacious approach helped Utah first come back to draw even and then later pull away down the stretch.

Gordon started the third quarter by draining a long two-point shot over the lanky arms of Miami’s Chris Bosh to keep it a four-point game. At the 9:47 mark, No. 20 drained his attempt from beyond the arc to put the Jazz ahead 54-53.

Miami Heat v Utah Jazz

About midway through the third quarter, G-Time took over and for a stretch of about two minutes—he scored nine consecutive points without any other player on the floor registering a single one. The impressive effort from Gordon put the Jazz up 68-60 and changed the momentum of the game.

“You have to give him credit he’s such a savvy scorer,’’ Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said of Hayward. “He was doing it off drives, off movement, off pick-and-rolls. We had three or four different defenders on him and two or three different looks. He’s really grown as a player.”

The run included back-to-back successful jumpers, a nifty driving bank-shot and another smooth pull-up J. Miami caught up before the end of the third to make it a two-point game, but Hayward continued rolling and his stepback jumper and driving layup to close out the frame gave Utah a 72-68 edge going into the final quarter.

“Hayward really got it going and they read our schemes and what we were doing defensively,” Heat guard Dwyane Wade said, “and they did a great job getting the things they needed from our schemes.”

Utah didn’t let up in the fourth and put the game away with ease. With 5:37 remaining, Gordon bolted down the court on a fastbreak and finished with the slam to put the Jazz ahead 86-78. H20 added another dunk with 1:06 remaining to put his team up by 12 and seal the deal.

“We just hit some shots,” Gordon said. “Honestly, I’m tired. We needed this win. The fans were tremendous for us tonight, and we really appreciate it. We couldn’t do it without them, especially with the way we’ve been beat up lately. It was a great win.”

After the satisfying victory, Coach Quin Snyder lauded G-Time for his high-level play with many of Utah’s regulars still sidelined with injuries.

“We rode [Hayward] tonight,” Snyder explained. “Without Alec and Rodney and Fave out there, a lot of that falls to Gordon. He’s been really poised and been terrific through this whole time.”