Jazz Escape Clippers 96-92 Behind Gordon Hayward's 27 Points
The Utah Jazz are one win away from a second-round date with the mighty Golden State Warriors.
Utah won Game 5 of its playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers 96-92 at Staples Center to take a 3-2 series lead. The Jazz set the tone Tuesday on the defensive side against a Clippers team playing without Blake Griffin because of a season-ending toe injury.
Gordon Hayward led the way with 27 points, but Rodney Hood, Joe Johnson, Rudy Gobert and George Hill provided critical support:
| Gordon Hayward | 27 | 8 | 4 | 9-of-16 (4-of-8 from three) |
| Rodney Hood | 16 | 5 | 2 | 6-of-17 |
| Joe Johnson | 14 | 8 | 3 | 6-of-14 |
| Rudy Gobert | 11 | 11 | 1 | 4-of-8 |
| George Hill | 12 | 5 | 7 | 3-of-12 |
Chris Paul (28 points and nine assists), DeAndre Jordan (14 points and 12 rebounds) and J.J. Redick (26 points) spearheaded the losing effort for Los Angeles.
Jazz Defense Silences Staples Center
The Jazz won with defense throughout the season, and Tuesday was no different.
They were third in the league in defensive efficiency in 2016-17, per NBA.com, and suffocated the Clippers in Game 5. Los Angeles shot a mere 42 percent from the field with 13 turnovers against a Utah squad featuring Gobert down low (five steals and two blocks) and multiple versatile defenders who can hound outside shooters.
David James of KUTV2 suggested head coach Quin Snyder was thrilled the Clippers scored just 43 points in the first half:
Things got worse for Los Angeles with just 15 points in the third, although Utah missed a number of open looks and failed to pull away with just 18 points. SB Nation's SLC Homer reacted to the stretch:
Despite a mediocre offensive showing (43.2 percent from the field), Utah controlled the pace with its stifling defense and earned a road victory.
Gordon Hayward Overcomes Food Poisoning
Hayward missed the second half of Game 4 with food poisoning but showed no signs of poor health with three triples in the first quarter to set the tone.
Perhaps he received a boost from the Gatorade a young Jazz fan offered him after the food poisoning incident, which Angie Treasure of 1280 Sports shared:
The Jazz blew a double-digit lead early in the fourth but turned to Hayward with the game on the line. He delivered with a number of clutch plays and gave the visitors a go-to option to counter Paul in crunch time.
It wasn't just Hayward in the clutch, as Johnson—who already hit the winning shot in Game 1 and played the hero in Game 4—drilled a monumental jumper to open a five-point lead in the closing seconds.
Lucas Hann of SB nation and Matt Moore of CBS Sports reacted to Johnson's performance:
"Obviously Joe Johnson is good enough to be the best player on a championship team, not sure about Hayward as a #2 guy though
— Lucas Hann (@LucasJHann) April 26, 2017"
"SWING JOE
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) April 26, 2017"
SWEET CHARIOT
COMING FOR TO BURY YOU AT HOME
SWING JOE
SWEET CHARIOT
COMING FOR TO BURY YOU AT HOME
The tandem gives Utah dangerous shot-makers on the offensive end to complement its stout defense.
Clippers Backcourt Can't Overcome Franchise History
Los Angeles entered Tuesday's contest with unfavorable history in series-swinging Game 5s:
Paul and Redick did what they could to overcome the team's tortured past. Even against one of the best defensive teams in the league, Paul knifed his way through the lane and scored and found teammates to keep the Clippers within striking distance.
He connected on back-to-back threes as Los Angeles quickly turned an 11-point deficit into a tie game in the fourth, prompting this response from Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer:
Redick played the supporting role brilliantly with three triples and a 9-of-10 mark from the charity stripe, but Jordan was the only other Clipper to score in double figures.
The threesome will need more support in Friday's Game 6 in Utah if the Clippers are going to force a decisive Game 7.
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