The Utah Jazz won 105-98 over the Los Angeles Clippers to tie the series, despite Gordon Hayward's food poisoning. Hayward played just nine minutes, hit one three-pointer and then left the game and did not return. The Clippers lost Blake Griffin for the rest of the playoffs, as Blake suffered a thumb injury. It was a close game from the beginning, as the Clippers entered the fourth quarter with a three-point lead, but then Joe Johnson stepped up big for the home team, as he scored 13 of his 28 points in the final quarter.
Another heroic game by Joe Johnson
After he had hit the buzzer beater in game one at the Staples Center to give the Jazz a 1-0 lead over the Clippers, Joe Johnson turned to be a hero again for the Utah Jazz. He finished the game with 28 points, five rebounds, and five assists while shooting efficiently 12 of 17 from the field and 2 of 3 from the outside. Johnson played 34 minutes off the bench and was a crucial player for the home team in the fourth quarter, as the Jazz outscored the Clippers 28-18 in that final quarter.
Johnson played 34 minutes off the bench and was a crucial player for the home team in the fourth quarter, as the Jazz outscored the Clippers 28-18 in that final quarter. Rudy Gobert played just 23 minutes because of a minute restriction, but it was enough for Rudy to post a double-double.
He finished the game with 15 points and 13 rebounds while shooting correctly 6 of 6 from the field. He also added two blocks to his stat sheet.
Joe Ingles had a solid overall game, as he scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds and had 11 assists in 37 minutes on the floor. Ingles hit an outstanding three-point shot that gave the Jazz 102-94 lead with 58 seconds left on the clock.
Joe Ingles had a solid overall game, as he scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds and had 11 assists in 37 minutes on the floor. Ingles hit an outstanding three-point shot that gave the Jazz 102-94 lead with 58 seconds left on the clock. Rodney Hood had 18 points and four rebounds off the bench while shooting 6 of 16 in 35 minutes of play.
Derrick Favors also came off the bench, as he scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds in 24 minutes on the floor.
Chris Paul had a big game
The Clippers didn't have much scoring options, so their offense mostly depended on Chris Paul and Jamal Crawford. Paul was just one rebound away from a triple-double, as he had 27 points, nine rebounds, and 12 assists while shooting 10 of 21 from the field.
JJ Redick played a game-high 41 minutes and scored 12 points, while shooting 3 of 11 from the field and 2 of 7 from downtown. DeAndre Jordan had a double-double with 12 points and ten rebounds in 36 minutes on the floor. Jamal Crawford added 25 points off the bench, as he shot 9 of 13 from the field and 5 of 7 from the three-point line.
The next game is on the schedule for Tuesday, at 10:30 pm, as the series, will move to Los Angeles.
