NBA Playoffs 2017: Jazz topple Clippers in Game 7

The first round of the NBA Playoffs 2017 came to a close on Sunday after Utah eliminated Los Angeles.

And so the rough off-season for the Clippers begins. Questions were stemming as to how the team will handle free agency as well as their coaching situation in a loss.

Now that the loss in Game 7 at home is for certain, it’s time for them to get busy. Instead of chasing a championship, Chris Paul and company now face an uncertain future.

Above all else, Blake Griffin’s team next season is yet to be determined. The injury prone forward hasn’t been able to be a part of the Clippers’ playoff picture in the last two seasons.

It’s hard to imagine Chris Paul anywhere else, but with the way the series played out against the Jazz, anything could happen.

Whether Los Angeles will keep Doc Rivers around or not is also up for discussion.

Gordon Hayward went off for 26 points to lead all Jazz starters in scoring. Joe Johnson, considered by some to be the better clutch player in the entire series, scored ten off the bench.

As for the Clippers, they had the biggest game from DeAndre Jordan in a while. The veteran center scored 24 points, while point guard Chris Paul had just 13.

A final nail in the coffin was that it was Paul Pierce’s final game in the NBA. After several seasons, the former NBA champ is calling it a career.

Jamal Crawford was the best performance off the bench for Los Angeles. Having 20 of his own, Crawford did what he could to provide a surge for a second unit that only had six points in the whole first half.

Next: 3 Things That Were At Stake In Game 7

Utah will move on and play the Golden State Warriors in the second round with a shot at a major upset and a berth in the conference finals.