The Utah Jazz won over the Los Angeles Clippers 104-91 on the road to close out the series. It was a third win for Utah at the Staples Center, as they won the series 4-3. The Jazz took the lead early in the game and they went on a break with 46-39 lead. The visitors extended their lead in the second half, as they outscored the Clippers 33-24 in the third quarter and entered the final quarter with a 16 point lead. The Clippers tried to fight back, but they were unable to find their offensive rhythm.
Hayward stepped up as a team leader
Gordon Hayward led the Jazz with 26 points, eight rebounds and three assists, while shooting 9 of 20 from the field, 2 of 3 from downtown and 6 of 6 from the Free Throw Line.
Hayward played a game-high 42 minutes and turned the ball over only two times. Rudy Gobert had some foul trouble, as he picked up his second foul after just 4 minutes in the game. Gobert played only 13 points, scored one point and grabbed four rebounds, before he was fouled out from the game.
Derrick Favors played a big role off the bench, as he posted a double-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and three assists, while shooting 8 of 11 from the field. George Hill also added 17 points in 34 minutes on the floor, as he shot 7 of 13 from the field. Hill grabbed four rebounds and had five assists. Joe Ingles scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds in 36 minutes of play, while Boris Diaw added 10 points as a starter in 17 minutes on the floor.
Joe Johnson finished the game with ten points, seven rebounds and five assists, while coming off the bench, as he shot 4 of 13 from the field. Rodney Hood also scored in double-digits, as he added 11 points to his score sheet.
Silent night for Chris Paul
DeAndre Jordan was a leading scorer for the Clippers, as he posted a huge double-double with 24 points and 18 rebounds, while shooting 9 of 12 from the field and 6 of 15 from the free throw line.
Chris Paul struggled with his shot, as he had only 13 points in the game, while shooting 6 of 19 from the field and 1 of 7 from the outside. Paul also had four rebounds and nine assists.
Jamal Crawford was the only other player that scored in double-digits for the home team. Crawford scored 20 points, while shooting 8 of 16 from the field and 1 of 4 from the three point line in 32 minutes on the floor.
Clippers shot 35 of 80 from the field as a team and only 6 of 25 from the three point line. J.J. Redick, Clippers best shooter, made only one of his five field goal attempts in 22 minutes on the floor.
The Utah Jazz will play against the Golden State Warriors in the second round off the NBA playoffs. The first game is on the schedule for Tuesday, at 10:30 pm, as the series will begin in Oakland.
