Los Angeles Clippers bounce back with a win in Game Two

118. 99. 77. Final. 91

Blake Griffin had a game-high 24 points and the Los Angeles Clippers even up the series with a 99-91 win over the Utah Jazz in Game Two of the NBA playoffs.

With Utah center Rudy Gobert sidelined with a hyperextended knee suffered in Game One, the Los Angeles Clippers dominated in the paint outscoring the Jazz by 22. Right from the tip-off, Griffin and DeAndre Jordan were fierce inside combining for 42 points. Chris Paul had 10 assists and 21 points – the last seven in the 4th quarter.

Undoubtedly feeling the pressure after their disappointing loss in Game One, the Clippers stormed to a 12-point lead in the first quarter giving fans a show of Lob City full of thunderous dunks and alley-oop slams. This is what was expected in Game One. With Gobert out – Griffin and Jordan needed the own the paint and they did on Tuesday – outscoring the Jazz 60-38.

But, while the Jazz never held the lead throughout the game, there was still a sense of uneasiness. Utah brought it within three in the third and the worry crept in. Would the team collapse? Could their defense hold up? It was stressful to watch.

Thankfully, their defense stayed strong, especially down the stretch. Griffin did a great job on Johnson while Jordan caused problems for Gordon Hayward. In the end, the Clippers did a much better job attacking Utah’s perimeter game and smaller offense, a game-plan forced by Gobert’s absence.

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Hayward led the Jazz with 20 points and Joe Johnson, the hero whose floater at the buzzer gave them a two-point win in Game 1, added 13 points off the bench.

It was a big night for the Big Three, who combined for 63 of the team’s 99 points. Jamal Crawford, JJ Redick, and Luc Mbah a Moute struggled again offensively combining for only 18. They will need to figure out how to contribute if the Clippers want to continue winning – especially Reddick and Crawford who combined for an average of 27 points per game against Utah in the regular season, according to Andrew Han at ESPN.

The Clippers had energy and focus from the start which could probably be attributed to a few factors: home court and a sense of urgency. But now they travel to Salt Lake and unfriendly territory. Can they sustain that energy along with their dominance inside? They must if they want to win.

Next: Where did all the Dodger fans go?

Game 3 is Friday at 7:00 pm at Vivint Smart Arena in Utah. Teams that go up 2-1 in a series are 302-75 in NBA history, showing the importance of game two for the Los Angeles Clippers.

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