Joe Johnson, Jazz Beat Clippers 105-98 in Rudy Gobert's Return, Tie Series at 2
Not even food poisoning could stop the Utah Jazz from tying their playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
Utah evened the series at two games apiece with a 105-98 victory at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The team announced star forward Gordon Hayward was out with food poisoning at halftime, but Joe Johnson filled the void with 28 points and a number of critical baskets in the fourth quarter.
He led a balanced attack for the shorthanded Jazz:
| Joe Johnson | 28 | 5 | 5 | 12-of-17 |
| Rodney Hood | 18 | 4 | 1 | 6-of-16 |
| Derrick Favors | 17 | 6 | 1 | 7-of-10 |
| Rudy Gobert | 15 | 13 | 1 | 6-of-6 |
| Joe Ingles | 8 | 6 | 11 | 3-of-6 |
On the other end, Chris Paul (27 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds) and Jamal Crawford (25 points on 9-of-13 shooting) did their best to carry the Blake Griffin-less Clippers, but it wasn't enough.
Johnson Plays the Role of Hero
It appeared as if the Clippers were going to roll to a 3-1 series lead with an 87-80 advantage with less than eight minutes remaining in Game 4.
Johnson missed the memo.
The 35-year-old veteran scored 11 straight points for his team to take the lead heading into crunch time. He then assisted on a critical Joe Ingles three, and the Jazz never looked back.
The team expressed its appreciation:
Zach Harper of FanRag Sports weighed in on Johnson's old-man game of smooth jumpers and precise passes:
Johnson also hit the winning shot in Utah's Game 1 victory, and Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders wasn't surprised by the development:
Johnson starred in the critical moments, but the balanced scoring effort (five players in double figures and 54.1 percent shooting from the field) was a monumental lift for a Jazz squad that suffered the cruel twist of fate with Hayward's illness right as Rudy Gobert returned from his ailment.
Rather than facing a commanding deficit, the Jazz now have a best-of-three series to advance.
Game 4 a Tale of Attrition
The secondary storyline for Game 4 was the attrition on both sides.
Hayward's setback was unexpected, although the Jazz still had a bit of fun with it:
He managed just nine minutes in the first half, but Gobert provided a lift in his first game back since suffering a hyperextended knee in Game 1, per the Jazz. He played 24 minutes and notched a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds while adding important interior defense against DeAndre Jordan (12 points).
As for Los Angeles, Blake Griffin is out for rest of the playoffs with a toe injury, per the Clippers. The visitors didn't have enough support for Paul and Crawford in the scoring department without their All-Star forward, as nobody else finished with more than 12 points.
Chris Paul and Jamal Crawford Pick Up the Slack
The Clippers fought Utah's emotional boost from Gobert's return, the opposing crowd and the Jazz's natural desperation that came with trailing in the series, but they still looked to be the better team until Johnson's burst down the stretch.
That is a credit to the backcourt combination of Paul and Crawford.
Paul ran the show with his passing and timely scoring, while Crawford connected on five of his seven threes as Los Angeles' other consistent scorer.
Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune commented on Crawford's showing:
"The only thing saving the Jazz from Jamal Crawford is him being 36 years old and having to rest
— Tony Jones (@tribjazz) April 24, 2017"
ESPN Stats & Info noted Paul has been the most consistent distributor of the entire postseason to this point:
He will look to extend that streak and give his team the series lead again in Tuesday's Game 5 back in Los Angeles.
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