SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Paul George scored 37 points and grabbed
16 rebounds to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 119-111 victory
over the Utah Jazz in Game 5 of their Western Conference semifinals
series Wednesday night.
Marcus Morris scored 25 points and Reggie Jackson added 22 for
the Clippers. Los Angeles won its third straight game to push the
top-seeded Jazz to the brink of elimination. The Clippers shot 51%
from the field with Kawhi Leonard in the lineup.
Bojan Bogandovic scored 32 points – while making nine 3-pointers
– to lead Utah. Donovan Mitchell added 21 points. Rudy Gobert
chipped in 17 points and 11 rebounds. Six players scored in double
figures for the Jazz.
Utah and Los Angeles will play Game 6 on Friday in Los
Angeles.
The Jazz trailed the entire fourth quarter after making just six
baskets in the third quarter. Utah cut the deficit to 100-97 when
Mitchell converted a 3-point play with 5:46 left. Jackson answered
with back-to-back baskets to squelch a Jazz comeback. Utah could
draw no closer after that point.
The Clippers played their first postseason game without Leonard
after he suffered a knee injury in Game 4. Mike Conley missed his
fifth straight game for the Jazz while rehabbing a strained
hamstring.
Los Angeles seized an early 10-3 lead after Terence Mann took a
steal in for a layup to cap a string of four baskets on four
straight possessions. Los Angeles could not hold the advantage for
long after Utah started cooking from the perimeter.
The Jazz made a franchise record 10 3-pointers and shot 13-of-18
from the field overall in the first quarter. Bogdanovic led the
way, going 6-of-7 from outside, tying an NBA postseason record for
most 3-pointers made in a single quarter. He scored the last four
outside baskets on four straight possessions to put Utah up
32-26.
Utah kept up the barrage in the second quarter and went 17-of-30
from 3-point range before halftime. The Jazz built up a 10-point
lead during the quarter, going up 56-46 when Gobert tipped in a
layup to punctuate a 13-2 run.
Los Angeles weathered the storm and surged back ahead early in
the third quarter. The Clippers opened the second half on a 23-9
run capped by back-to-back threes from George and Mann and took an
83-74 lead midway through the quarter.
TIP-INS
Clippers: Mann made his first career start in a playoff game in
place of the injured Leonard. He finished with 13 points and two
steals. … Los Angeles scored 17 points off 11 Utah turnovers in the
first half. … George posted his third consecutive 30-point game.
He’s scored at least 20 points in all five games against the
Jazz.
Jazz: Bogdanovic became the fourth player to make at least six
3-pointers in a single quarter during the 2020-21 NBA Playoffs. …
Utah had more turnovers (6) than missed baskets (5) in the first
quarter. … The Jazz missed 17 straight shots from the perimeter
before Mitchell ended the drought with a 3-pointer with 4:05
remaining. Utah went 0-of-10 from 3-point range in the third
quarter alone.
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