There's no quit in the Jazz.
Despite trailing by double digits late in the fourth quarter, Utah had a chance to pull the game out late but couldn't complete the comeback — falling 121-114 to the LA Clippers on Monday night.
"That's a frustrating game," head coach Will Hardy said. "Our identity is to play hard and pass. I never question our team's effort. … I think we do continue to play hard, but at moments tonight, I don't think that we passed."
The ending was not without drama, which has become expected between these two teams.
Trailing by five with just under a minute left, Talen Horton-Tucker caught the ball on the wing and drove strong to the hoop. He collided with LA's Amir Coffey, finishing off the layup with a foul and the chance at a three-point play.
But Clippers coach Ty Lue challenged the call — and won. The two points came off the board, and Horton-Tucker was whistled for an offensive foul, giving the ball back to the Clippers.
"I'm a part of this group too. … I obviously didn't have a perfect night if we lost by 7," Hardy said about needing to be better. "I'm never going to sit here and blame the team, blame the players for us losing a game. … We win together, and we lose together. I'll go back, watch the film, and figure out what we can do to help our team be better."
Lauri Markkanen continues to play like one of the top players in the league, and Monday night against the Clippers was no different.
Going up against one of the best defending teams in the league — particularly on the perimeter — Markkanen finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds, adding three assists and a block. With Conley out, the Jazz elected to play through Markkanen for most of the second half, and he responded by dominating in the paint.
Playing the role of facilitator with Conley out, Jordan Clarkson was great for the Jazz. While he's grown more comfortable in the role, he was tasked with getting Utah into their sets.
He finished with 26 points and four assists, shooting 8-of-18 from the floor and 4-for-11 from beyond the arc.
Even without Conley, the Jazz got off to a hot start. Markkanen drilled a three-pointer on the opening possession as Utah scored on its first three times touching the ball for an early 7-2 lead.
After the Clippers responded to take the lead midway through the quarter, Clarkson got fouled on a three-point attempt and knocked them all down. Unfortunately, it was LA the rest of the way, ending the first on a 17-6 run as the Jazz trailed 34-24.
The Clippers picked up where they left off, jumping out to a 17-point lead early. But Utah responded with five straight points to keep it close. LA regained that 17-point advantage a few minutes later, but the Jazz fought back again with an 11-3 run.
Utah trailed 64-54 at the break.
It was a similar start for the Jazz out of the half, as three-pointers by Clarkson and Kelly Olynyk made it a four-point game. But the Clippers settled in on both ends, getting the advantage back up to double digits midway through the quarter.
An elite shooting team all season, the Jazz found their shots later in the third. They went on a 23-6 run as Olynyk, Malik Beasley, and Horton-Tucker drilled three-pointers.
Utah led 93-88 entering the final 12 minutes.
The Clippers started the fourth strong, going on an 18-6 run to retake the 106-101 lead midway through. Utah's deficit grew to 10 before Horton-Tucker drilled a three-pointer and Olynyk knocked down a pair of free throws — setting the stage for the drama-filled ending.
Olynyk finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, while Jarred Vanderbilt added six points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Collin Sexton — starting in place of Conley — finished with 10 points, while Horton-Tucker added 14 off the bench.
Utah returns home to welcome back former Jazzman Bojan Bogdanovic and the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. MST and tickets can be purchased HERE.