The Los Angeles Clippers were on the brink of elimination from the first round of the Western Conference playoffs on Friday night. They traveled to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Jazz in Game 6 of their first round matchup. With Utah leading the series 3-2 it was a "win or go home" situation for the Clippers. Vivint Smart Home Arena was fully packed once again with 20,000 fans making one of the best atmospheres in the NBA. Entering Friday's game the Jazz were 8-1 all-time in close-out games at home. With the Clippers playing without Blake Griffin, Utah wanted to improve that record to 9-1 and advance to the second round.
Clippers hold on to a 98-93 win
Utah opened up the game with an early 9-3 run and had a 22-13 lead with 2 minutes left in the first quarter. Los Angeles responded with a 7-0 run of their own and it was 22-20 for the home team after the first 12 minutes of the game. Teams continued to trade baskets and change leads in the second quarter and it was a tie at 36-36 midway through the second period. At halftime the Clippers held a 47-45 lead. Utah shot just 3 for 13 from 3-point range in the first half and missed several wide-open attempts. With the score tied at 59-59 early in the third quarter, the Clippers went on a 10-2 run and took a 69-61 lead. They were up by eight points (78-70) after three quarters of play.
When Austin Rivers made a step-back 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, that pushed the lead to 91-77 with 3:58 remaining in the game, it looked like it was all over. The Jazz would respond with a late 16-5 run to cut that lead down to just three points (96-93) but that was the closest they would come. The Clippers held on to a 98-93 victory.
They outrebounded Utah 41-38 and held them to just 41% shooting. Doc Rivers' squad was 9-for-21 from the three-point line while holding the Jazz to 7 for 26 from behind the arc.
Chris Paul with another stellar performance
With his team facing elimination in the first round, Chris Paul stepped up and carried the Clippers to a crucial win.
He finished Friday's game with 29 points, eight assists and three rebounds. Paul was 10-20 from the field and he iced the game with two free throws to put the Clippers up five with a second left. Austin Rivers helped with 13 points and four rebounds, while DeAndre Jordan added 13 points and 18 rebounds.
Gordon Hayward led all scorers in Game 6 with 31 points to go along with seven rebounds and four assists. George Hill contributed with 22 points and five rebounds, while Rudy Gobert added 15 points for the Jazz.
The series is now tied at 3-3 and the Clippers will host Game 7 on Sunday. The winner will advance to face the Golden State Warriors in the second round.
