Five Takeaways

Celeste Mendez

LOS ANGELES - A cutthroat series replete with last-second finishes, dramatic comebacks and expectation-defying outcomes ended with yet another curveball—a blowout for the road team in Game 7. The L.A. Clippers struggled to handle the Utah Jazz’s size, depth and double-teams on Chris Paul, and wound up with a season-ending 104-91 loss to the Utah Jazz on Sunday afternoon.

The Staples Center crowd came out in full force for their squad, but their support couldn’t stave off a third home loss for L.A. The Clippers’ top triplicate of Paul (13 points, nine assists), DeAndre Jordan (24 points, 17 rebounds) and Jamal Crawford (20 points, three assists) was no match for Utah’s seven double-figure scorers, led once again by Gordon Hayward’s game-high 26 points.

The defeat brings to a close a roller-coaster-of-a-2016-17 NBA campaign in L.A. From a blazing 14-2 start to a seven-game streak to finish the regular season, through the ups and downs of injuries to Paul, Blake Griffin and Austin Rivers in between, the Clippers once again kept things interesting at every turn.

The summer ahead figures to be chock-full of intrigue for this team. As many as nine Clippers could be bound for free agency, with Paul and Griffin potentially headlining a star-studded 2017 class should they decide to opt out of their current contracts by late June.

L.A.’s ending was particularly disappointing for CP3. He wound up with as many misses as points (13) amid a deluge of double teams and flailing limbs from Utah.

The nine-time All-Star will head into a potentially uncertain offseason on the heels of another postseason exit prior to the conference finals. Where many in his position might be dejected, Paul responded with measured perspective at the postgame podium.

“At the end of the day, it’s a game, and we all love it, know what I mean?” he reflected. “Like, you just keep pushing until it happens. It’s not going to change. Keep working, keep playing, keep training, doing all the different type stuff until you break through.”

Every Game 7 is an animal unto itself, but head coach Doc Rivers hoped the Clippers would draw at least one lesson from their past experiences in winner-take-all contests.

“I think hopefully they all understand that as big as the game is, it’s still a team game,” he said, “and they’re not going to win without your teammates and playing with your teammates and trusting.”

At times, the Clippers seemed to forget the importance of playing together, particularly on the offensive end. L.A. went into the locker room at the half with more turnovers (eight) than assists (seven) and a seven-point deficit dug, in part, with the shovel of Utah’s 14 dimes to four giveaways.

The Clippers turned the ball over just twice in the second half, but finished with 17 assists—their fifth game in the series with fewer than 20 helpers.

“I thought we lost our trust a little bit,” Rivers said afterward.

And along with that trust went the flow of L.A.’s offense under the weight (and length) of Utah’s suffocating defense.

Rudy Gobert (one point, four rebounds and six fouls in 13 minutes) played more than the one possession he logged in the series opener, but not by much. The wide-winged Frenchman was in foul trouble all day, leaving the Jazz to call on their bench early and often.

Not that Utah seemed to mind. Derrick Favors readily reprised his role as Gobert’s able stunt double. The Georgia Tech product came off the bench to log 17 points on everything from pick-and-pop jumpers and dump-off passes to putbacks and layups.

Favors’ big body also turned out to be a tough cover on the boards, with a team-high 11 rebounds. The 25-year-old fouled out in the fourth quarter, but not before helping Utah acrrue a 56-46 edge in paint points and a 46-38 advantage on the glass

The Clippers did what they could to take advantage of Utah’s thinning front line. DeAndre Jordan jammed all over the Jazz en route to team-highs in points (24) and rebounds (17). Chris Paul, Jamal Crawford, Austin Rivers and Raymond Felton showed little fear attacked off the bounce.

Favors, though, did his part to impede L.A.’s downhill runs. For the series, he averaged 10 points on 62.0 percent shooting with 6.4 rebounds in 26.3 minutes.

Not bad for a big man who battled through knee problems for much of the campaign.

Coming into Sunday, Chris Paul had been a bright leading light for the Clippers. Through the first six games of this series, he averaged 27.3 points, 10.0 assists and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 52.6 percent from the field, 41.9 percent from three and 90.6 percent from the free-throw line—numbers that nobody in NBA history had sustained in a single postseason.

L.A. had every reason to believe Paul’s exemplary play would continue in Game 7. In nine previous elimination games with the Clippers, he’d poured in 24.2 points, 9.7 assists and 4.7 rebounds while hitting 51.2 percent of his field-goal attempts.

“Where the competition or the stakes are higher, I think Chris is usually better,” Doc Rivers said.

Paul gave his all on both ends of the floor. On one possession in the first half, he defended Joe Johnson on one side of the court then contested Gordon Hayward on the other. On another in the second half, Paul, the smallest person in the game, blocked Gobert, the tallest on either team.

The Jazz, though, seemed to solve CP3 with their own defense. They doubled and hedged on pick-and-rolls, contested him at every turn and generally made his life a nightmare on offense. Things didn’t get any easier for Paul after he tweaked his ankle in the third quarter.

“I think they did a good job tonight of shrinking the court,” he explained. “That means the big being up in the ball screen. It was sort of up tonight, not letting me get to my spots.”

The result: a series-low 13 points on 6-of-19 shooting (1-of-7 from three). He still led all comers in assists (nine), but with his teammates mostly coming up empty from beyond the arc (5-of-18 from three), his total fell short of where L.A. needed it to be.

It took J.J. Redick more than 44 minutes of game time to hit from the field. His triple with 3:28 left was timely, cutting what had been a 21-point Clippers deficit down to eight, but his lone bucket turned out to be too little, too late. On L.A.’s next possession, Redick missed a driving layup that would’ve trimmed Utah’s lead back down to single digits.

That lone triple turned out to be his only score of the afternoon. Redick finished with three points on 1-of-5 shooting (1-of-2 from three), closing out a series in which Utah bottled up L.A.’s sharpshooter from start to finish.

All told, the 32-year-old averaged 9.1 points on 38.0 percent shooting during the series—his lowest outputs for a postseason since 2011. Utah’s size and length on the perimeter proved to be too much for Redick to handle, short-circuiting a Clippers offense whose success had long relied on his gravitational pull running around the floor to loosen up opposing defenses.

Paul Pierce’s illustrious NBA career is officially over, but it didn’t end without one last bit of Truthiness. He started the second half in place of Luc Mbah a Moute (two points in 15 minutes) and came through with a three-pointer to slice Utah’s lead to seven points early in the third quarter.

The 39-year-old gave it a good go during his 22 minutes—his second-highest total of the entire season and largest load since late November. He finished with six points, three rebounds, an assist and a steal while doing his darndest to disrupt the 35-year-old Joe Johnson (10 points on 4-of-13 shooting, seven rebounds, five assists).

“I gave every ounce I could, each and every day,” Pierce said while sitting in front of his locker after the Game 7 loss. “And I have no regrets, even to the last day.”

The 19-year veteran finished among the top-20 all-time in points, both in the regular season (15th) and the playoffs (20th), to go with his 10 All-Star nods, four All-NBA selections, two trips to the Finals and one championship and Finals MVP trophy with the Boston Celtics in 2008.

Five years from now, the L.A. native figures to field a call from Springfield announcing his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Until then, folks in Southern California can only hope to catch a glimpse of Pierce’s old-man game in the venue for which it always seemed destined: the local rec league, alongside all the other weekend warriors.

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Five Takeaways: Clippers Season Ends with 104-91 Game 7 Loss to Jazz

Joseph Ibarra

On the edge of elimination, the Clippers traveled to Salt Lake City and won behind a marvelous Chris Paul performance, forcing a Game 7 on Sunday.

The Clippers led by 14 points in the fourth quarter, before a furious Jazz rally that closed the lead to three points. On the Jazz’s final possession, DeAndre Jordan coerced Joe Johnson to attempt, and miss, a tough three pointer that would have tied the game.

Here are five quick takeaways from the Clippers’ 98-93 win.

1) Point God wills Clippers to victory- Whatever the Clippers needed, Chris Paul provided. In the slow, methodical first half, Paul paced the Clippers with 15 points, scoring mostly with his midrange, elbow jumper. In the third quarter, Paul’s savvy forced Quin Snyder to sit Joe Ingles and swindled three free throws from a George Hill reach. Then, Paul ignited a third quarter run with his passing. Coming out of a timeout with the Jazz faithful chanting, Paul ran off a Jordan screen, then fed the big man with a dunk to silence the crowd. Paul went on to record three more assists during a 13-2 run, with his energy and will spreading to the rest of the team. When the Jazz made a late push, Paul crossed up his defender, and finished with a nifty lefty layup, doing his best to keep the game out of reach.

Paul almost played a perfect game, but admitted to making “boneheaded plays” late in the game as he turned the ball over twice, allowing the Jazz to close the Clippers’ lead to three points.

The Point God finished the game 29 points and eight assists, and iced the game with two free throws to put the Clippers up five with a second left.

2) Rivers starts, bench excels - In an attempt to strengthen the Clippers perimeter defense and provide a secondary ball handler, Austin Rivers was inserted as the starting small forward, replacing Marreese Speights and sliding Mbah a Moute to the power forward position. Rivers ended the game with 13 points on 50-percent shooting, and more importantly played 35 minutes, one game removed from his minutes restriction. In the second half, Rivers found his groove, drilling three three-pointers, his biggest happening at the 1:29 minute mark.

With Speights in his usual role off the bench, he drove a second half 18-8 run with the rest of the bench unit while Paul and Jordan sat. In the previous games, when the two All-Stars sat, the bench usually struggled. Tonight, the entire bench mob outplayed the the Jazz bench, with every player finishing with a positive plus/minus, none higher than Jamal Crawford’s plus-19. All of Crawford’s five baskets came in the second half, and Raymond Felton’s bullish defense provided a spark. Paul Pierce’s statline of three points, three rebounds and one assist is not the most striking, but the playoff veteran made simple winning plays.

3) Clippers defense force Jazz to go cold - Through 45 minutes the Clippers’ defense was fierce, restricting the Jazz to only 79 points. Utah had trouble generating open looks, and DeAndre Jordan rebounded well, not allowing many second chance opportunities. Chaos ensued over the final three minutes, as the Jazz scored 14 points to bring the game within three. Despite the late rally, the Clippers strong defense was the reason for the win. The Jazz collectively shot 41-percent from the field, and only 27-percent from range. Joe Johnson mustered only nine points, a series low. With the addition of Rivers into the starting lineup, the team rotations improved, consistently challenging Jazz shooters, best displayed by Jordan’s remarkable end-of-game defensive stand on Johnson.

4) Luc Mbah a Moute delivers on both ends - Known for his defense, the ninth year pro took advantage of open offensive opportunities, producing 13 points, lifting the Clippers offense. During Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan pick-and-rolls, Mbah a Moute’s primary defender rotated over, leaving him unguarded. When Mbah a Moute got the ball, he confidently stepped into his jump shot or drove to the paint and finished in the lane. Just as important as his offense, Mbah a Moute helped limit Hayward’s production. Hayward finished with 31 points, thanks in part to a late, personal 7-0 run late in the the fourth quarter, but throughout the game never found his rhythm, shooting contested jumper after contested jumper.

5) Gobert rolls ankle - Coinciding with the Clippers third quarter run was another Gobert injury. Gobert visibly was not moving as well, with a jerky gait and a lower activity level. Gobert subbed out and the Clippers built an eight point lead. When the center subbed back in with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, he managed only two minutes before heading to the bench for the duration of the game. Gobert’s health will be something to keep an eye heading into Game 7.

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Five Takeaways: Clippers Survive Late Scare, Force Game 7

LOS ANGELES - In a city that prides itself on appearances, the Utah Jazz made things just ugly enough to steal a 96-92 Game 5 win from the L.A. Clippers at Staples Center on Tuesday night.

Chris Paul (28 points, nine assists) fell one helper shy of his fifth straight NBA playoff game with at least 20 points and 10 dimes. He got plenty of support in L.A.’s backcourt from J.J. Redick, who scored more points in Game 5 (26) than he did in Games 2 through 4 combined (24). DeAndre Jordan held his own up front for 14 points and 12 rebounds.

The Jazz, though, finished with twice as many players in double figures (six), including Joe Johnson (14 points) and Rodney Hood (16 points) off the bench and all but Joe Ingles among head coach Quin Snyder’s starters.

The Clippers will have two days to regroup before leaving L.A. for a do-or-die Game 6 on Friday at 7:30 pm PT at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City.

When it comes to staring down daunting deficits in postseason series, L.A. has been there and done that. Friday’s tilt will be the Clippers’ eighth Game 6 of the Chris Paul era.

Two years ago, the team bounced back from a 3-2 hole under similar circumstances to upend the defending champion San Antonio Spurs.

“It’s no secret that our backs are against the wall, down 3-2,” Paul said. “Fortunately, we’ve got a lot of guys in the locker room who had to do this a couple years ago.”

The see-saw between the Clippers and Jazz was in full swing from the get-go.

L.A. opened with a 7-0 lead and Utah riposted with 11 straight points. The two teams traded baskets for most of the second quarter until the Jazz ripped off an 8-1 run to end the first half. After the break, Utah used another 7-0 spurt to go up 69-58, only for L.A. to answer with 11 in a row to knot the score in the fourth quarter. Naturally, the Jazz came back with an 8-0 run of their own.

By the time the final buzzer sounded, L.A. and Utah had traded leads nine times with eight ties. The Clippers, though, never led after relinquishing a 42-40 advantage on a three-pointer by Rodney Hood with 1:37 left in the second quarter.

Jazz head coach Quin Snyder knew that J.J. Redick would eventually break out of his shooting slump in thsi series

“I think some of it—knock on wood—is a little bit of luck and just work and chasing and trying to contest,” Snyder said before the game.

By and large, that luck ran dry for Utah in Game 5. Redick came through with 26 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field.

The Clippers’ single-season record-holder in made three-pointers didn’t do it from the outside alone, though his trio of triples helped to keep his team close. Redick drew plenty of contact to contribute to his playoff career highs in free-throw makes (nine) and attempts (10).

L.A. will need Redick to keep his hand warm while the team heads to cooler climes in Salt Lake City for Game 6.

As much as Redick stepped up on the scoreboard, he and the Clippers’ perimeter players were ultimately outgunned by their Jazz counterparts.

Rodney Hood (16 points) hit four huge triples off the bench. Gordon Hayward led all scorers with 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting.

The All-Star’s biggest play of the game, though, wasn’t a shot, but a rebound. With the clock ticking toward the three-minute mark, Hayward got his hands on a missed three by George Hill and tipped it out to Joe Johnson, who nailed an open shot from deep to put Utah ahead 83-78.

For the first time in this series, the Clippers held the Jazz under 40 percent shooting from three-point range—36.1 percent, to be exact. But Utah still hit more treys than L.A. did (13-10), and now has done so three times in this series.

In truth, this game—like this entire matchup to date—was decided inside.

The Jazz outrebounded the Clippers, 43-34, and outscored L.A. in the lane, 34-28, marking the fifth time in as many games that the victor of the paint-point battle has claimed the spoils on the overall scoreboard.

DeAndre Jordan (14 points, 12 rebounds) extended his streak of playoff double-doubles to seven games dating back to last year’s opening series against the Portland Trail Blazers. With Austin Rivers (two points in 18 minutes) back in the rotation, the Clippers had some success getting inside, turning their drives and dishes into a 24-of-29 night at the free-throw line.

Utah’s size and length, though, was once again tough for L.A. to handle. The Jazz managed to slow the game down and muck things up from start to finish, thereby giving their superior size and length a chance to take over on the interior.

The Clippers will hit the road again after bidding good riddance to their four-point Game 5 defeat. The loss dropped L.A. to 1-11 all time in Game 5s when tied 2-2 in a series.

Not that the Clippers have fared much better in Game 6s. They have won just three of 11 Game 6s dating all the way back to their days in Buffalo.

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Five Takeaways: Clippers Fall Short in Narrow 96-92 Loss to the Jazz in Game 5

The Jazz gained Rudy Gobert for Game 4, lost Gordon Hayward, but won against the Blake Griffin-less Clippers to tie the series 2-2.

Ahead by seven midway through the fourth quarter, the Clippers lost in a similar fashion to Game 1 as the Jazz rallied behind Joe Johnson post-ups and team ball movement

Here are five quick takeaways from the Clippers 105-98 loss.

1) Gordon Hayward leaves game, Joe Johnson steps up - The Jazz sent an IV to Gordon Hayward’s house before the game, hoping to hydrate the star through his reported food poisoning bout. He tried to play through the sickness, starting the game, but came out at the first substitution looking fatigued. Hayward returned later in the first quarter, only to leave permanently a few minutes later.

In Hayward’s place, Joe Johnson stepped up, just as he did when Rudy Gobert went down in Game 1, scoring a game-high 28 points tonight. One point in the fourth quarter, Johnson scored 11 straight points for Utah, despite the Clippers doubling him every time he posted up. Then, the seven time All-Star beat the extra defender with exceptional vision, recording three assists over the subsequent possessions.

Hayward played a total of nine minutes, managing three points and two rebounds. His status for Game 5 is uncertain

2) Chris Paul nearly records triple double - Paul asserted himself, again, leading the team with 27 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, just one shy of DeAndre Jordan’s team-high 10 rebounds. With Blake Griffin out, Paul showed the well-roundedness of his game out of necessity, doing everything possible to help the Clippers win. Paul has recorded 10-plus assists in every game so far this postseason, the only player to do so.

3) Rudy Gobert back as Jazz control paint - Gobert returned from a three game absence caused by a right knee sprain and started, despite admitting his physical condition was not at 100-percent. The Jazz center played in about five minute stretches throughout the game, elevating the Jazz’s offense and defense dramatically. Gobert played 24 minutes, tallying 15 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks. In the first quarter, Gobert received a pass on the baseline and vaulted with a two handed dunk over Marreese Speights, sending the Vivint Smart Home Arena into a craze. He also dominated a stretch late in the second quarter, guarding the rim, grabbing offensive rebounds and finishing acrobatic layups, leading the Jazz to a three point halftime lead.

The Jazz bested the Clippers with 58 points in the paint to the Clippers 36, by far the most for the Jazz this postseason. The winner of each game in the series has won the points in the paint battle.

3) Jamal Crawford finds shooting stroke - Jamal Crawford burst out of his series-long shooting slump in the first quarter, and continued the excellent scoring throughout the game, hitting timely buckets when the Clippers were in need. Crawford electrified the first half, not missing a shot and pacing the team with 15 points, including three three-pointers. In the second half, Crawford carried the Clippers offense when Paul rested, drilling tough jumper after tough jumper.

The only thing able to stop Crawford tonight was himself, as he committed five fouls, forcing Doc Rivers to sit Crawford for a prolonged stretch in the fourth quarter.

5) Clippers extend range - As a team, the Clippers attempted the most three pointers, 32, thus far this series. The return of Gobert, paired with inserting shooters for the injured Griffin, resulted in the team making 11 three’s, with Crawford making five of seven, a career-high in the postseason for him. Felton was the only other Clipper to make more than he missed, sinking the only two he shot. The starting unit struggled to connect, going four of 22 as a five man squad.

What’s Next? The Clippers play the Jazz Tuesday, April 25th, in the STAPLES Center.

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Five Takeaways: Clippers Can’t Survive Johnson Late Game Heroics

Jay Johnson

SALT LAKE CITY - The Clippers took a 2-1 series leading, winning in Utah 111-106, rallying from a 14 point first half deficit without Blake Griffin, who left the game with a toe injury.

Here are five quick takeaways from the Clippers victory.

1) Chris Paul leads second half comeback - The Jazz opened the game with a different defensive scheme, putting Joe Ingles on Paul, and stayed with the strategy whenever the two’s minutes aligned.

Paul was solid in the first half, scoring 10 points, but in the second half after Griffin was ruled out, Paul switched into “Point God” mode. He scored 24 points and directed the Clippers offense whenever he was on the court, running off DeAndre Jordan screens and utilizing his mesmerizing handles to create space. Paul attacked the paint relentlessly, and when his defender sagged off, he’d shoot with confidence. Many of Jordan’s 17 points resulted from screen and rolls, as Paul sucked in the help defense.

With 4:01 left in the game, and the Clippers down 94-96, Paul took over “winning time”, personally outscoring the Jazz 13-10 to regain back home court advantage.

2) Blake Griffin injured - Following a second quarter timeout at the 3:32 mark, Griffin slammed his hand on a chair and walked to the locker room, clearly in disgust. Up to that point, Griffin led the team in scoring with 11 points. The Jazz radio quoted Griffin saying, “it’s worse than I thought.” Griffin never returned, and per Clippers PR, he suffered a bruised right big toe.

Speights started the second half in place of Griffin, which trickled into extended time for Paul Pierce. Pierce played 21 minutes, the second most minutes he had all season, and did not score a point, but did grab three rebounds and a steal.

Griffin will continue to be evaluated before Game 4.

3) Gordon Hayward goes berserk in the first quarter - Hayward struggled in the first two games of the series, shooting only 36-percent. A lot of national media discussed the need for Hayward to play better if Utah was to win the series. Hayward responded with the best quarter of his career, scoring a blistering 21 points, animating the hometown crowd. He shot 7-of-8 from the field, getting buckets in all sorts of way: backdoor cuts, running off of screens and off the dribble. The Jazz All-Star was perfect from behind the arc, make all three of his three pointers. His primary defender, Luc Mbah a Moute, could be seen talking with teammates, asking for help navigating through all the screens. Hayward matched the entire Clippers team in the first quarter with 21 points.

While Hayward finished the game with 40 points, eight rebounds and four assists, he scored only one basket in the 4th quarter.

3) Felton and Speights strong second quarter keeps game within reach -

After the first quarter and the Hayward explosion, the Jazz were up 34-21. The Clippers started the next period with a bench unit guided by Raymond Felton and Marreese Speights. Felton scored seven points, which at the time was a team high, but more importantly provided an influx of energy to a Clippers team down early in enemy territory. Felton escaped for a few easy buckets that helped silence the crowd.

Speights brought his usual confidence and activity, and like Felton, the timeliness of his impact could not have been greater. Speights scored five points and added a steal and a block. The second unit, along with Griffin, cut the deficit to two at one point.

Without Rudy Gobert, the Jazz rotation shrank, in depth and height. One result of smaller lineups is usually more shooters on the court, and tonight the Jazz made 14 three pointers, doubling the Clippers’ seven. The Jazz’s early lead was thanks in large part to Hayward and Ingles making a combined five three pointers. In the second half as the Clippers rallied, the Jazz stayed ahead with an unlikely clutch trey from Raul Neto. The Jazz attempted 34 field goals from behind the arc, by far the most of this series.

Conversely, the Clippers shot only 19 three’s, making seven. While in the previous two games Ingles was assigned to J.J. Redick, tonight Redick was guarded by George Hill, who did a fabulous chasing and hugging the Clippers’ sharpshooter. Redick made only one three, and was the only Clipper starter to not score in double figures. This was Redick’s third straight game not reaching the 10 point mark.

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Five Takeaways: Clippers Lose Griffin But Win Game and Series Lead

The L.A. Clippers came out of their stunning Game 1 loss with some clear objectives for Tuesday’s tete-a-tete against the Utah Jazz.

Shore up the weakside defense. Attack the interior on offense. Don’t let Joe Johnson get loose.

On all three fronts, L.A. improved dramatically during a 99-91 Game 2 win. The Clippers held the Jazz to 45.7 percent shooting, piled up 60 points in the paint and limited Johnson—who outscored L.A.’s bench on his own in Game 1, 21-20—to 13 points on 6-of-15 shooting.

Blake Griffin led all scorers with 24 points on 11-of-21 shooting. Chris Paul (21 points, 10 assists) and DeAndre Jordan (18 points, 15 rebounds) both logged double-doubles for the second time in as many tries in this series, despite fighting through foul trouble.

The Clippers will look to take a 2-1 lead on the Jazz this Friday, when Game 3 tips in Salt Lake City at 7:00 pm PT.

The Clippers made a point of puncturing the paint in Game 2 after winding up in essentially a stalemate during Game 1, despite Rudy Gobert going down on the very first possession. At his postgame press conference, head coach Doc Rivers was pleased to see not only that his team had a 22-point edge in the paint, but how it compiled that cushion.

“That’s what we should do. It was great,” he said. “We got it through movement. We went down hill a lot more tonight.”

The Clippers didn’t hesitate attacking the Jazz’s lack of rim protection this time around. With Gobert nursing his injuries from Game 1, L.A. went hard in the paint early and often, outscoring Utah 16-0 in the lane during the first quarter en route to a 60-38 advantage for the game.

Coming into the evening, Doc Rivers knew that his team would need to tenderize Utah’s stout defense with more than just the dribble, especially in Austin Rivers’ absence.

“We have to do it with more movement,” he said.

The Clippers certainly obliged. Chris Paul found DeAndre Jordan for lob after lob in an 18-point night for the All-Star center. Blake Griffin bullied his way to the bucket to boost his 24-point total. Even Paul Pierce (six points, two assists) took advantage of Gobert’s absence for a few slow-motion drives inside.

L.A. gave up nearly as many paint points on Tuesday (38) as it did on Saturday (42), but tilting the tables further in its own favor from the outset proved to be the difference for the Clippers, who outshot the Jazz 52.4 percent to 45.7 percent overall.

Where the Clippers have thus far taken advantage of Gobert’s absence most consistently is on the backboard. After outrebounding Utah 40-34 and more than doubling up the visitors in second-chance points (21-10) in Game 1, L.A. came back to grab six more boards than the Jazz and turn eight offensive rebounds (to Utah’s three) into 13 second-chancers (to the opponents’ six).

In truth, the Clippers’ edge on the glass wasn’t all about Gobert. They were quicker to the ball from start to finish, playing with an energy and a sense of urgency that were both lacking at times in Game 1. Against a scrappy Utah squad, that kind of hustle is critical to survival, and will be even more so with the series shifting to Salt Lake City this weekend.

“That’s the only way we’re going to win this series,” Rivers said.

Believe it or not, Chris Paul was actually more aggressive overall in Game 2 than he was in Game 1, despite scoring fewer points and taking fewer shots.

In Game 1, Paul waited until the fourth quarter to take over, tallying 12 of his 25 points on 5-of-8 shooting the final frame after attempting just two shots in the first. Come Game 2, he launched five looks in the opening quarter and five more in the third to help L.A. soften Utah’s defense before notching another seven points on five more attempts in the fourth.

Paul was just as pesky on the defensive end, hounding George Hill (12 points on 12 shots) and directing traffic from up top. On one sequence in the third quarter, he swatted Hill’s shot out of bounds then picked his pocket and drove it the other way for a layup.

How did Paul, who finished with a plus-minus rating of plus-9, manage to do so much in so little court time? Because he had to.

“Man, I was trying to just stay on the court, to tell you the truth,” Paul said.

The 31-year-old was dogged by foul trouble for much of the night. So was Jordan, who excelled with a plus-minus of plus-12 in 35 minutes before fouling out with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter—to a standing ovation, no less.

Had those two avoided the ire of the referees more often, L.A. might’ve run away with the game. Marreese Speights, DJ’s primary backup, scored seven points but wound up as a minus-4 overall next to his name. Raymond Felton and Jamal Crawford, who assumed playmaking duties when Paul sat, were a minus-2 and a minus-6, respectively.

There’s nothing wrong with two of L.A.’s workhorses getting some much-needed rest ahead of a challenging trip to the Beehive State. But if the Clippers had their druthers, they’d clearly prefer to punish the Jazz at their own pace, without the officials adding their two cents to Rivers’ rotations.

As well as the Clippers did to hang on at home on Tuesday, there’s still plenty of room for improvement beyond what Austin may bring to the table when his hamstring heals.

That begins with J.J. Redick, who had another quiet night with more fouls (five) than points (four). L.A.’s starting shooting guard, who took 35 percent of his regular-season shots during first quarters, didn’t log an attempt until the 4:15 mark of the second, when he drained a 21-footer off a Chris Paul pass.

This, after Redick racked up seven points on six shots in Game 1.

All told, Utah has used its length all over the floor to stifle L.A.’s perimeter game. Through two contests, the Clippers have hit just 31.8 percent (14-of-44) from beyond the arc.

Clearly, the Clips can survive without setting the nets ablaze from deep. But a bit of perimeter fire could make L.A. that much more dangerous if the team’s shooters are able to warm up going forward.

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Five Takeaways: Clippers’ 99-91 Bounceback Victory Over the Jazz in Game 2

From the opening tip to the final buzzer, Game 1 between the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz had fans at Staples Center clinging to the edge of their seats.

Despite losing starting center Rudy Gobert to a hyperextended left knee at the outset, Utah managed to pull out a gutsy 97-95 win on the road, with veteran Joe Johnson scoring the final bucket at the buzzer.

Blake Griffin tallied just six of his game-high 26 points in the second half as the Jazz clamped down defensively inside. Chris Paul piled up 25 points—including the tying shot with 13 seconds left—along with 11 assists, seven rebounds and three steals. DeAndre Jordan (10 points, 15 boards, three blocks) notched his 18th double-double in 51 career playoff games.

Utah finished with four players in double figures, including Johnson and Derrick Favors, Gobert’s replacement, off the bench.

The Clippers will now turn their attention to Game 2, which is slated for Tuesday at 7:30 pm PT.

L.A. finished the 2016-17 regular season on a seven-game winning streak to secure the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage in the first round. With one loss, the Clippers now find themselves having to fight back from an 0-1 series deficit with the Jazz owning the home edge.

“We fought all year to get it,” head coach Doc Rivers said after the game. “Now we’ve given it right back.”

The first-round fates of the Clippers and Jazz looked like they might could come down to the very first possession of the very first game.

Just 17 seconds into his playoff debut, Gobert went down in a heap after knocking knees with LA’s Luc Mbah a Moute. The 7’3” center did not return after he was diagnosed with a left knee sprain and later left Staples Center to undergo a precautionary MRI, which revealed a hyperextended knee but no structural damage.

Favors, Utah’s first big off the bench, then picked up two quick fouls. So did Jeff Withey, the next man up in the Jazz’s rotation.

The Clippers won the rebounding battle, 40-34, but struggled to find space against Favors’ defense. The oft-injured pivot was a physical presence throughout, helping to keep L.A.’s frontcourt at bay and converting quick interior passes into points.

Favors, who missed the last two regular-season meetings between the Jazz and Clippers, finished with 15 points, six rebounds, two assists and, presumably, a host of kudos from his Utah teammates in the locker room.

The biggest moment of the night, though, belonged to Johnson. With 13 seconds to go and the score tied at 95, the seven-time All-Star pushed the ball up the floor without calling timeout and lobbed it up for the game-winning hoop.

Johnson, 35, had burned the Clippers all night long. With Luc Mbah a Moute blanketing Gordon Hayward early on, Johnson poured in 14 of his team-high 21 points in the first half.

Mbah a Moute spent more time on Johnson after halftime, opening things up for Hayward to drop 10 of his 19 points in the third quarter. In the final frame, Johnson took control again, accounting for each of Utah’s final three field goals en route to stealing one at Staples Center.

Johnson and Hayward got plenty of time on the court together as the Jazz played small ball to cope without Gobert. The onus will be on the Clippers in Game 2 to turn the tables on Utah’s makeshift solution to what initially appeared to be a pivotal problem.

Without Austin Rivers’ energy and attacking ability, the Clippers’ reserves came up well short of their Jazz counterparts. Utah’s bench outscored L.A.’s, 47-20, and would’ve owned the edge even if Johnson had been the only Jazz sub to get buckets.

Jamal Crawford, who finished with a team-best plus-minus of plus-12, had plenty of pep in his step and no trouble getting into the lane. But he shot just 4-of-12 from the floor and had a tough time keeping up with Johnson late on defensive switches.

Marreese Speights hit a pair of threes, though the time he spent on the floor with Griffin didn’t give the Clippers much lift up front. Raymond Felton (four points on 2-of-4 shooting) was effective at times defending Utah’s bigger perimeter players.

All told, the Clippers sorely missed the typical burst they get from the younger Rivers, whose hamstring injury will keep him out of the rotation until at least Game 3.

L.A.’s loss didn’t come without a valiant effort from Chris Paul. He scored 10 straight Clippers points to keep his team close in the fourth quarter, then hit the game-tying layup with 13 seconds to go before Johnson answered on the other end.

Paul, who finished with 25 points, switched gears between halves. Of his game-high 11 assists, 10 came before the break. He got his scoring touch going with eight points in the third to jumpstart an otherwise bogged-down Clippers offense.

Normally, Paul’s aggression on offense leads to quality outcomes for L.A. During the 2016-17 season, the Clippers won eight of 10 games in which CP scored 25 or more points. His ability to pick and choose his spots between sharing and scoring will dictate L.A.’s offensive output against Utah’s suffocating defense.

The Clippers might have taken advantage of Gobert’s early exit had they also taken better care of the ball, particularly in the first half.

L.A. gave the ball away 10 times before the break for 16 Utah points. The Jazz’s thicket of arms and legs gave the Clippers fits up top, with Johnson and Joe Ingles (eight points, two steals) turning picked pockets into easy baskets on the other end.

Griffin and J.J. Redick combined for 10 of L.A.’s 16 total turnovers, due in part to Utah packing the paint for Blake’s drives and post-ups.

Throw in 44.4 percent shooting for the Clippers, and all in all, it was far from an exemplary offensive night for the home team, which hadn’t scored 95 points or fewer since a loss in Dallas on March 23.

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Five Takeaways From Clippers’ Last-Second 97-95 Loss in Game 1 vs Jazz

LOS ANGELES -- Clippers coach Doc Rivers believes his club is in a good place as it heads to its franchise record sixth consecutive postseason. Riding a seven-game winning streak, the fourth-seeded Clippers tip off the playoffs at home on Saturday against the fifth-seeded Utah Jazz.

“I like the way we closed the (regular) season out, We had to as well,” said Rivers after the Clippers rolled past the Sacramento Kings 115-95 at Staples Center on Wednesday to clinch homecourt advantage. “We’ve been good for the last 14 games ... and I said that that long ago and I felt that. We were winning games, but we weren’t blowing teams out, and so it didn’t look like we were playing well. But I kept saying ‘Guys,’ I’m telling you, we’re playing well.’ And you could see it and I think our guys could see it.”

The Clippers have dominated the Jazz in recent play, capturing three of the four contests this season and 18 of the past 20 games. But Rivers said that matters little when the two teams clash in the playoffs.

“Honestly, as I know and you know, it still starts all over, whether you’re playing well or not,” Rivers said. “Saturday, it doesn’t matter if Utah’s been playing great or not or (if we've) been playing great or not. It starts all over and you have to be ready.”

Against the Kings, all five Clippers’ starters scored in double figures. DeAndre Jordan and J.J. Redick led the way with 18 points apiece. Jordan also had 17 rebounds and four blocks.

Chris Paul had 17 points and nine assists, Blake Griffin contributed 15 points, nine boards and eight assists and Luc Mbah a Moute added 14 points.

The Clippers used a second-half flurry to pull away. They increased their 53-47 halftime edge into a double-digit lead in the third quarter. The Clippers outscored the Kings 34-26 in the third for an 87-73 advantage heading into the fourth.

The Clippers kept the pressure on in the final quarter. Unlike their March 26 loss, when the Kings rallied from an 18-point deficit in the final five minutes for a stunning 98-97 win over the Clippers, Los Angeles never allowed the lead to dip below double figures.

For the seventh straight game, the Clippers topped 50 percent shooting from the floor. They finished at 51.8 percent to 49.4 percent for the Kings. Jordan connected on 8 of 10 shots.

“To be able to end it here in front of family and friends, being back home, it’s special. Just looking up and seeing my mom in the stands, she didn’t make a lot of trips to Boston, and seeing my brothers in the stands, it meant a lot to me. It’s been a long ride, it’s been a great ride.” — Paul Pierce, who is retiring at season’s end, regarding the late-game chants by fans

The Clippers delivered a video tribute to Pierce late in the game. Fans gave Pierce a standing ovation. Shortly after, they began chanting “We want Paul,” and Rivers obliged them by putting in the 18-year veteran with 2:23 remaining.

Pierce missed two 3-point attempts before Rivers replaced him to receive another standing ‘O’ with 40.3 seconds remaining.

Redick broke his own franchise record for 3-pointers by hitting his 201st at 5:16 of the third quarter. That eclipsed the 200 3-pointers Redick made last season.

Jamal Crawford, who finished with 13 points against the Kings, converted one trey during the game to take sole possession of fifth place on the all-time NBA list for career 3-pointers made. Crawford entered the game tied for fifth with Vince Carter and Kyle Korver.

Redick will be playing in his 11th consecutive postseason in as many seasons. Tony Parker (16 straight ) is the only active player with more consecutive appearances.

The Clippers outscored the Kings 19-3 in the first half and finished with a 26-5 edge overall in fastbreak points. The Clippers also earned advantages in points in the paint (48-34) and second-chance points (19-10). The Clippers outrebounded the Kings 43-37.

Rebounding and pace will dictate the winner of the series between the Clippers and Jazz, Rivers believes. “We just have to be ready for whatever is presented,” Rivers said. “We won’t be successful if we’re a team that can win just one way, I know that. If it’s up and down, we’re good with that. If it’s not, I think the series will be uneven that way. I just think we have to be ready for the ups and downs of a different pace.”