Clippers-Jazz Preview

By TAYLOR BECHTOLD
Posted Dec 03 2012 12:48AM

While Chauncey Billups hasn't put up huge numbers, his presence appears to have given the Los Angeles Clippers a bit of a boost.

The Clippers look to win their third straight game with the five-time All-Star back in the lineup Monday night when they visit the Utah Jazz, who will try for their 13th consecutive regular-season win at home.

Billups has played less than 20 minutes in each of his two starts since recovering from a torn left Achilles tendon that sidelined him for the final 38 games of last season and the first 14 this season.

However, Los Angeles, which had lost four straight before Billups' debut Wednesday, defeated Sacramento 116-81 on Saturday for its second straight win with him back in the lineup.

Billups had six points Saturday - he finished with seven three days earlier - but the Clippers (10-6) outscored the Kings 41-22 while he was on the court.

"I'm not going to take a long time getting adjusted to the other players," Billups said.

The Clippers' bench provided a big lift against Sacramento. Jamal Crawford, Eric Bledsoe and Matt Barnes combined for 43 points, leading seven players in double digits.

Los Angeles ranks fourth in the NBA in bench scoring at 40.1 points per game, and Crawford is the only player to lead his team in scoring (17.5) despite coming off the bench in every game.

"It's a long season, and it's important to get the production out of your starters and your bench," said Barnes, who finished with 12 points.

Blake Griffin has only averaged 12.0 points in the Clippers' last three games, but perhaps he'll put up better numbers in Utah. Griffin has averaged 24.3 points and 12.7 rebounds in six career games against the Jazz (9-9).

The Clippers, seventh in the NBA in scoring (100.6 points per game), finished with a season-high total while shooting 54.7 percent from the field and 12 of 24 from beyond the arc on Saturday.

That doesn't bode well for a Jazz team that allowed Houston to shoot 55.4 percent and score 39 fourth-quarter points Saturday in a 124-116 road loss.

The Jazz, who dropped the last two games of a three-game road trip, have allowed five of their last six opponents to reach 100 points.

"Usually, (defense) is something that all of us from top to bottom take pride in ... and lately we haven't been getting stops," guard Randy Foye told the team's official website.

The Jazz fared better offensively, shooting a season-high 51.1 percent against the Rockets - including a 11 of 20 effort from 3-point range. Gordon Hayward finished with 21 points, while Al Jefferson and Foye each scored 20.

Jefferson, seventh in the NBA at 10.5 rebounds per game, averaged 21.0 points and 9.7 rebounds in the three games against the Clippers last season.

Billups missed 16 of the 20 shots he took in two meetings against the Jazz in 2011-12, but Utah had no answers for Chris Paul. The All-NBA first teamer averaged 30.0 points and shot 65.8 percent in two games in the series, with the Clippers losing by 29 in Salt Lake City in the contest he missed with a left hamstring strain.

This time, Paul will be going head-to-head with the point guard who backed him up for the last season and a half. Mo Williams has averaged 13.9 points and 6.5 assists while starting all 14 games he's been available since joining the Jazz.

Utah may be forced to go without a pair of key components in this meeting, though. Starting forward Marvin Williams (concussion) has missed the past two games and reserve Derrick Favors (strained arch) sat out Saturday, though both could return Monday.

The Jazz are looking for their first 7-0 home start since 2006-07.

Griffin scores 30, Clippers beat Jazz 105-104

By LYNN DeBRUIN
Posted Dec 04 2012 1:33AM

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Randy Foye knew what was coming. He had seen Chris Paul do it many times as a teammate in Los Angeles last year.

This time, going against the Clippers, Foye raced backcourt to steal the inbounds pass and put up a 3-pointer that would have won the game for the Utah Jazz.

Unlike his 3-pointer that pulled Utah within one point with 1.2 seconds remaining, this one missed its mark and was too late, allowing the Clippers to hang on for the 105-104 victory in Salt Lake City.

"I wish there were 3 seconds left because I would have been able to get to the basket or line it up and knock it down," said Foye, who came to the Jazz as a free-agent this offseason.

"But it wasn't meant to be."

Blake Griffin led Los Angeles with a season-high 30 points and Jamal Crawford added 20 off the bench, including a pair of late free throws for the Clippers.

Early on, Monday's game looked like it might be a Jazz blowout.

"In the first half, it was almost a waste of time because no one showed up," Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said of his team, which was still down 14 late in the third. "Our defense was weak, we were soft and we had no toughness. ... But I was very pleased with the way we responded ... and made plays down the stretch."

One of the biggest came from 6-foot-11 center DeAndre Jordan. He blocked Al Jefferson's short floater that would have tied the score at 101 with 26 seconds remaining.

"That block was the play of the game," Paul said. "DJ had to cover a lot of ground to get there and block that shot."

From there, the teams would trade free throws, with Matt Barnes and Crawford sinking a pair each for L.A. and Mo Williams making two for the Jazz until Foye nearly became the Jazz hero.

The loss was the first at home this season for the Jazz and first at home for Utah since a 107-105 setback against Phoenix on April 4.

Early on, a pair of ex-Clippers did much of the damage.

Williams led the Jazz (9-10) against his former team with 20 points and 12 assists, and Foye added 19 points. Al Jefferson had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Utah.

Paul added 14 points for Los Angeles, but scored six in the fourth on 3-of-4 shooting after the Clippers entered the quarter trailing by 10.

"He's a gamer," Williams said of Paul. "He's going to show up in the fourth quarter. I've seen it enough. But I thought we did our job tonight. Unfortunately things just didn't go our way."

There was the foul on Chauncey Billups by Williams on an errant 3-point attempt. The Jazz thought it was a flop but Billups got the call and sank 2 of 3 free throws to tie the score at 99.

"Big call," Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. "The referees saw it a different way but I thought we did everything we could to challenge the shot."

There also was the loose-ball foul called on DeMarre Carroll during a near scrum with 3:36 left and the Jazz clinging to a 3-point lead.

Crawford hit a 22-foot jumper to pull the Clippers within 94-93 a few seconds later.

And there was Jordan's block.

"DJ can affect the game in so many ways," said Griffin. "That play was as big of a play as we had all night."

It helped the Clippers (11-6) win their third straight, and third with Billups back in the lineup.

Jordan said the defensive effort against Jefferson made the difference in the second half.

"I think just being physical with Al, making his catches difficult, pushing him out on the block, just kind of denying the post pass a little bit," Jordan said. "Our guards did a great job of pressuring the passer, which made it a difficult pass to get in."

The Jazz were playing without small forward Marvin Williams because of concussion-like symptoms and power forward Derrick Favors, who missed his second straight with plantar fasciitis.

Mo Williams, who played behind Paul and Billups last year in L.A. and alongside Foye, did his best to make up the difference.

One of his 12 assists came on a behind-the-back gem to Jefferson that the Jazz big man slammed for a 94-91 Utah advantage with 3:56 remaining.

He also had a pinpoint pass down the middle of the lane to Foye for a layup that gave Utah a 31-19 lead after one quarter.

Williams downplayed that he was revved up because it was the Clippers.

He gave quick bear hugs to his former teammates before the game, and even extended a hand to help Paul up when he had the ball stolen away in the second quarter. While there were tense moments late after a questionable foul and players from both sides jawed and pointed fingers in front of the Jazz bench, Williams went over and shook his ex-teammates hands after the game had ended.

"I knew we were playing a really good team that has a really good point guard, one of the best in the league and just had to step up to the challenge," Williams said. "That's every night, but obviously when you're playing guys like that, you've got to get extra motivated to play against them because they're so good."

He and Foye just didn't have enough in the end.

NOTES: The Jazz honored former University of Utah basketball coach Rick Majerus with a moment of silence before the game. Majerus died Saturday in Los Angeles while awaiting a heart transplant. He was 64. ... Former Jazz shot-blocking great Mark Eaton sat next to former coach Jerry Sloan in the stands. ... The Jazz made 10 of their first 15 shots and were shooting 66 percent at halftime.

Notebook: Clippers 105, Jazz 104

Andrew Aragon, for NBA.com
Posted Tue Dec 04, 2012 12:44 AM - Updated Tue Dec 04, 2012 1:00 AM

THE FACTS: Chris Paul was mostly quiet for three quarters against the Utah Jazz on Monday night, but it seemed inevitable that he'd make a push for his Los Angeles Clippers.

Paul did that and more, taking over in the fourth quarter of the Clippers' 105-104 victory over the Jazz. Paul scored the go-ahead basket off a high pick-and-roll to put Los Angeles up 101-99 with 33.9 seconds left. Paul masterfully directed things on offense in the fourth quarter for the Clippers, who trailed by 14 points in the first half and 10 points to start the final period.

The Jazz had no answer for Blake Griffin, who scored a season-high 30 points and had 11 rebounds to lead the Clippers. Jamal Crawford had 20 points off the bench, while Paul had 14 points and nine assists. Paul had six points, two assists and no turnovers in the final period.

Former Clippers Mo Williams and Randy Foye led Utah, which was ahead for almost the entire contest and suffered its first home defeat of the season. Williams had 20 points and 12 assists, while Foye had 19 points. Foye made a 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left in the contest, then stole the in-bounds pass but his shot came after the buzzer and missed.

QUOTABLE: "That's his M.O. -- set everybody up in the beginning and then at the end (play) like an assassin trying to end it all."
-- Jazz guard Foye on Paul's play on Monday night.

THE STAT: One of the Clippers' strengths this season has been their bench play and the reserves stepped up again against Utah. L.A.'s bench had 44 points, and outscored Utah's reserves in the fourth quarter, 20-4. The Clippers entered Monday's game ranked fourth in the NBA in bench scoring at 40.1 points per game.

TURNING POINT: The Clippers were able to erase a 10-point deficit to start the fourth quarter with stellar defense. They held Utah to just one basket and forced three turnovers in the first 5:42 of the fourth period. That effort set the tone for the rest of the game, and a defensive play by DeAndre Jordan was one of most important plays of the game. After Paul's go-ahead layup, Jordan blocked a runner by Al Jefferson and Chauncey Billups picked up the loose ball to give L.A possession with a two-point lead and 26.9 seconds remaining in the contest.

HOT: Griffin got most of his points near the basket, but also showed some versatility in facing up defenders and using his athleticism and ball-handling skills to get good looks. His mid-range, fade-away jumper with 2:24 remaining that got L.A. within 96-95 was one of the highlights of the game. The Jazz had their best first quarter of the season, shooting 73.7 percent while assisting on 10 of 14 made baskets.

NOT: Clippers starter Caron Butler shot just 2-for-8 and sat out the entire fourth quarter. Jazz reserve Alec Burks, whose playing time has been inconsistent and sometimes nonexistent, shot 0-for-3 and went scoreless in 11 minutes.

QUOTABLE II: "The first half looked like we wasted a bunch of jet fuel trying to get up here because no one showed up and it was just a waste of time. Our starters didn't do a good job, we had no toughness, we were soft, our defense was weak. ... I thought Eric Bledsoe did a great job in that second quarter getting us some momentum and getting our energy back. Then we were able to win the second half. It was just a team effort."
-- Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro on the difference between the first and second half.

GOOD MOVE: Billups, playing in his third game of the season, used a savvy, veteran move to draw a foul late in the fourth quarter. As he attempted a 3-pointer with Williams charging at him, Billups appeared to swing his leg to draw contact while shooting and was knocked to the ground by Williams, drawing a foul and getting awarded three foul shots. Jazz fans vehemently disagreed, saying Billups flopped, but it worked and Billups made two of the three free throws to tie the game at 99-99 with 1:14 left in the game.

BAD MOVE: Early in the game, Griffin attempted what would have been a difficult H-O-R-S-E shot. After collecting a loose ball on the floor, Griffin didn't have any great options to pass to with the shot clock winding down, so he took a shot near the baseline while sitting down. It didn't go in. It was the only shot he missed of his first eight attempts.

NOTABLE: The Jazz were without Marvin Williams (concussion symptoms) and Derrick Favors (plantar fasciitis). The Clippers have won three straight, and it was their largest comeback victory of the season. L.A. tied its season-high for points in the paint with 56.

UP NEXT: For the Clippers, Wednesday vs. Mavericks, Saturday vs. Suns, Sunday vs. Raptors. For the Jazz, Wednesday vs. Magic, Friday vs. Raptors, Sunday @ L.A. Lakers.

• Clippers: Hill, Thompkins
• Jazz: Bell, Murphy

• Clippers: --
• Jazz: --

• Lead Changes: 6
• Times Tied: 5

• Arena: EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
• Officials: #41 Ken Mauer, #7 Kevin Fehr, #27 Dick Bavetta
• Attendance: 19067
• Duration: 2:13