The Utah Jazz took game five over the Los Angeles Clippers with a huge victory on the road. They now have a chance to finish the series at home, on Friday night. The Jazz won a second time at the Staples Center and they have a 3-2 lead. It was a highly contested game from the beginning, as the Jazz went on a break with a three point lead. They entered the final quarter with a 64-58 lead and saved it until the final buzzer. They managed to win the game 96-92, behind another great performance from Joe Johnson.
Gordon Hayward led a balanced Jazz offense
Gordon Hayward played a game-high 40 minutes and scored 27 points, while shooting effectively 9 of 16 from the field, 4 of 8 from the three point line and 5 of 5 from the free throw line. Hayward added eight rebounds and four assists to his stat sheet. Rudy Gobert had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, as he played 35 minutes while shooting 4 of 8 from the field. Gobert also had a big five steals. George Hill had 12 points, five rebounds and seven assists, while shooting poorly 3 of 12 from the field and 1 of 7 from downtown. Boris Diaw also scored in double-digits, as he started the game and had ten points, while playing only 14 minutes.
Once again, Joe Johnson was a crucial guy for the Jazz, as he hit a clutch jump shot to give them a five point lead at the end of the game. Johnson finished the game with 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists, while shooting 6 of 14 from the field and 2 of 5 from downtown. Rodney Hood also had a solid game off the bench, as he scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds in 29 minutes on the floor.
The Clippers struggled offensively
Chris Paul was a leading scorer for the Clippers, as he had 28 points, four rebounds and nine assists while shooting 10 of 19 from the field and 4 of 6 from the outside. Paul played 37 minutes in the game, two minutes less than DeAndre Jordan. J.J. Redick scored 26 points, while shooting 7 of 12 from the field and 3 of 7 from the three point line.
Besides Paul and Redick, the home team didn't have an effective scoring option, as the rest of the team shot below 40 percent from the field. DeAndre Jordan added a double-double for the Clippers with 14 points and 12 rebounds in 39 minutes on the floor. Marreese Speights was in the starting lineup, but he didn't make a single shot in 13 minutes on the floor. The Clippers bench was a main problem for coach Rivers. They were outscored by the Jazz bench 36-16, as they shot only 5 of 22 combined.
The next game is on the schedule for Friday, at 10:30 pm, as the series will move back to Utah.
