The Utah Jazz lost their fifth game in a row, falling 112-96 in Salt Lake City Saturday night. The Los Angeles Clippers lead from tip off to final buzzer, shooting 56.3%, the highest field goal percentage a Jazz opponent has shot all season .
Chris Paul nailed a three pointer off a JJ Reddick assist 33 seconds into the game, and the Clippers never looked back. The closest the Jazz came to taking the lead was with 7:53 remaining in the first. Enes Kanter made a seventeen footer to put the Jazz within two, but LA responded with a Blake Griffin slam, and the Jazz never took the lead or tied the game again.
The Jazz responded to adversity early, as they whittled a 20 point deficit with 45 seconds to go in the first half to just 5. when Trevor Booker made his free throw to cap off an and-one that got EnergySolutions Arena up and loud. Los Angeles ended the half on a questionable Jamal Crawford and-one to take a 12 point lead into halftime.
After halftime, the Jazz struggled. Utah shot a respectable 45.7% in the half, but allowed the Clippers to shoot 52.5%. Despite only getting outscored by four points in the second half, the Jazz could not dig themselves out of the hole they had made in the first half of play.
The closest the Jazz came to overcoming the Clippers was with 10:36 left in the third quarter, when Alec Burks made a three pointer to bring the Jazz within nine. Fans started to stream out of EnergySolutions arena with around five minutes left in the game, after a JJ Reddick three pointer made it 104-86 Clips. The final score would end up 112-96. The Jazz dropped to 5-12, the Clippers improved to 11-5.
Stat Leaders
Points- Utah: Hayward, 30 | Clippers: Griffin, 28
Steals- Utah: Booker, 3, | Clippers: Paul, 2
Blocks- Utah: Gobert, 2 | Clippers: Jordan, 3
Assists- Utah: Burks, 3 | Clippers: Paul, 10
Rebounds- Utah: Favors 7, | Clippers: Jordan, 12
Jazz Shot Chart
Clippers Shot Chart
Box Score
Notes
-Clippers made 11 three-pointers, the third most three pointers the Jazz have given up this season.
(Here’s a video of all eleven threes)
-Clippers made only 11 free throws, second lowest made free throws by an opponent this season
-LA shot 56.3%, the highest field goal percentage a Jazz opponent has shot all season
-Clippers scored 112 points, second most a Jazz opponent has scored this season
-The Jazz went to the free throw line 33 times, tied for second most all season with 11/01/14 vs. Phoenix.
-Utah only had two blocks, tied for second lowest this season.
-The Jazz committed 15 fouls, tied for lowest all season with 11/01/14 vs. Phoenix.
-Gordon Hayward scored his career high points in a quarter with 20 in the second quarter.
-Rodney Hood came back from his plantar fasciitis injury and played for the first time in ten games. He scored two points and chipped in two rebounds and an assist in 13 minutes and 46 seconds of playing time.
Quotes
Jazz Head Coach Quin Snyder
On the Clippers defense:
“I think they make everybody look a step slow right now. They put you in a lot of positions where a mistake cost you a basket or a layup. We’re not consistent enough, just mistakes. There’s no one thing. Against a team that’s this good it’s difficult to overcome those. I thought we continued to compete which is good. It can get demoralizing at certain times against a team like that. I was happy that we continued to compete and work. Obviously there is a lot we can improve on.”
On the team’s inconsistencies:
“Inconsistencies, its human nature. To do something well all the time, that’s excellence. If we’re doing it 45
percent of the time, we have to get it to 50. There are certain nights where it’s easier to do that. These guys put
you in more positions where your inconsistencies just become more visible.” “It’s something that I keep saying after every single game. We got ourselves in a hole and we fought back, we competed and we played hard and good things happen when you play hard.”
Gordon Hayward
On the second quarter:
“We brought energy, It’s something that I keep saying after every single game. We got ourselves in a hole and we fought back, we competed and we played hard and good things happen when you play hard”
On what can be done differently:
“We have to find a way to be more destructive defensively. If we can get ourselves going on the defensive end,at least for me that’s what gets me going. If I’m more active defensively, offensively I’m a lot better. If we can do it as a team and try to get more deflections and get our hands on balls, maybe it will pick us up offensively too.”
On playing the next three games at home:
“You have to capitalize on it anytime you have a home stand. You’re able to get some good sleep and some home cooked meals and treatments at the practice facility. This is to our advantage some, we have to make sure to capitalize.”
Trevor Booker
On the comeback:
“We did a good job of fighting back. As soon as we got back in the game we started making little errors, like miscommunication and they capitalized off it. They’re a good team with a lot of experience and that helped them out a lot.”
Derrick Favors
On the slow starts:
“It’s something we just have to practice and watch film. Teams are just coming in hot against us.”
On what is missing defensively:
“I think we just have to bite into it, everyone needs to put in 100 percent effort. Guys are committed but it’s just something we need to be focused on. We need to come out and take matchups personal. Everyone needs to pay attention to the game plan before the game and just be ready.”
Quotes via Jazz PR
Up Next
The Jazz (5-12) face the Denver Nuggets (8-8). This is the first of four meetings between the two Rocky Mountain teams. Tip is at 7 PM at EnergySolutions Arena.