Rowan Kavner
UTA 102 - LAC 91
Summary: Blake Griffin looked energized and ready to carry the Clippers on the second game of a back-to-back after arriving late the night prior from Denver.
Unfortunately for the Clippers, he was one of the few.
Griffin went 18-of-23 and finished with 40 points, 12 rebounds and three assists, while Chris Paul added 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting with eight assists and five rebounds, but the rest of the Clippers (7-8) combined to go 10-for-37 and struggled to stop Utah down the stretch in a 102-91 loss to the Jazz (7-7).
Next Game: 11/27
Tipoff: 7:30pm PDT
Unlike the third quarter which ignited the Clippers the night before in Denver, the quarter began the downfall Wednesday for a group which had started looking more like itself against the Nuggets. The Jazz went on a 9-2 run in the quarter and led by five points after the third.
It got worse for the Clippers early in the fourth, with the Jazz beginning the quarter on a 6-0 run led by Gordon Hayward, who finished with 33 points and seven rebounds.
The Jazz had 16 more second-chance points off nine offensive rebounds in the first half and finished with 23 second-chance points on the night, while shooting better than 50 percent on the night.
The Clippers had won their previous 13 games against the Jazz, but they watched that streak disappear Wednesday with 19 turnovers, struggling to stop Hayward and the Jazz in the fourth quarter as the frustration they thought might’ve vanished in Denver returned.
Key Moment: Griffin and the starters were on the bench to start the fourth quarter in a five-point game. Those minutes were going to be crucial, and it turned out to go in Utah’s favor. The Clippers missed their first four shots of the fourth quarter and committed four turnovers before getting their first points of the quarter, at which point the Jazz had already turned it into a double-digit game.
Clippers Star: Blake Griffin – He scored nearly half the Clippers’ points and tied his season-high with 12 rebounds, trying to do everything for the Clippers. He showed off all of his offensive gifts, playing above the rim, hitting shots from the elbow, hitting shots on the move and using his dazzling ball-handling skills to get into the lane, hitting a season-high 78.3 percent of his shots.
Jazz Star: Gordon Hayward – The Clippers simply had no answer for Utah’s small forward. Hayward scored 14 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter, including a stretch where he made seven straight points for the Jazz, preventing any chance of a comeback for the Clippers. Hayward also had seven rebounds, three steals and two assists and finished plus-22 on the night.
X-Factor: Offensive Rebounding – On Utah’s first possession of the game, the Jazz got the offensive rebound and turned it into points. It was a sign of things to come. Had it not been for the offensive glass, the Clippers might’ve built a comfortable lead in the first half. The game was tied at halftime, even with Utah outscoring the Clippers, 17-1, on second chance points. Doc Rivers said after the game it killed the Clippers and it’s been one of their primary issues all year. Both teams finished with 11 offensive rebounds apiece, but the Jazz turned them into 12 more points. The boards and Derrick Favors, who had 22 points, both joined Hayward in causing plenty of issues.
Quotes:
Doc Rivers – “We just didn’t have any rhythm. What’s sad is we were getting the misses. The first half we got a ton of misses and didn’t get in transition a lot. When we have all five playing on offense, they’re ganging up on us and trapping us. We have to fix what’s going on offensively as well. Every night, it’s one or the other. I didn’t think our defense was that bad tonight, especially in the first half.”
Chris Paul – “We’ve got to start winning now, but we’ve got to fix it. It’s just not right. IT’s not fair to our fans. We’re better than this. We haven’t ever been like this.”
Blake Griffin – “We just need to stay together, not get too down on ourselves, but we’ve got to change something.”
NOTES: The Clippers didn’t make a 3-pointer until the fourth quarter … Wesley Johnson started again at small forward … The Clippers have lost four of their last five games … The Clippers had more turnovers (19) than assists … J.J. Redick had three points, marking the first time this season he had fewer than seven points in a game … All five Jazz starters finished in double figures … The Clippers play again Friday at home against the Pelicans …