Los Angeles Clippers’ Strong Second Half Leads to 115-103 Win Over Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz welcomed the Los Angeles Clippers to the Delta Center on Tuesday. But the Jazz lost to the Clippers 115-103 in a nationally televised game on NBC and Peacock. Utah fell to 15-32, while Los Angeles improved to 22-24.

Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 21 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. James Harden added 16 points, three rebounds, and 10 assists.

Ace Bailey led the Jazz with 20 points. Isaiah Collier added 12 points, four rebounds, and nine assists. Kevin Love had three points, 11 rebounds, and one assist.

In case you missed it, Utah suffered a 147-116 blowout by the Miami Heat on Saturday. Brice Sensabaugh led the Jazz with 23 points, four rebounds, and one assist. Bam Adebayo led the Heat with 26 points, 15 rebounds, and two assists.

Los Angeles blew out the Brooklyn Nets 126-89 on Sunday. Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 28 points, five rebounds, and two assists. Danny Wolf led the Nets with 14 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.

Utah Jazz vs. Los Angeles Clippers Starters

Utah’s starting lineup featured Isaiah Collier, Ace Bailey, Cody Williams, Lauri Markkanen, and Kevin Love. Utah ruled out Walker Kessler (left shoulder surgery), Elijah Harkless (hamstring issue), Keyonte George (rest), Georges Niang (foot), and Jusuf Nurkic (illness).

Nurkic, 31, became the first and only Jazzman to record three consecutive triple-doubles. Previously, Nurkic recorded 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists on Jan. 24, 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 14 assists on Jan. 22, and 16 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists on Jan. 20.

Los Angeles’ starting lineup featured James Harden, Kris Dunn, Kawhi Leonard, John Collins, and Ivica Zubac. Los Angeles ruled out Bradley Beal (season-ending left hip surgery), Derrick Jones Jr. (knee), Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring), and TyTy Washington (hamstring).

Jazz vs. Clippers Recap

Tuesday night’s matchup might have appeared to be the battle of the bottom-feeders, but the two teams share a long-time history. Utah has won 117 regular season games as opposed to Los Angeles’ 90 entering Tuesday’s game.

Utah went on a 10-0 run to start the first quarter. Lauri Markkanen connected with Ace Bailey, who completed a three-pointer. Bailey, 19, was one of four Jazzmen who scored four three-pointers in the first. Los Angeles ended Utah’s run with a bucket before picking up the pace but taking one step forward and two steps back. Utah took a 29-18 lead to end the first.

The Second Quarter Conundrum

Los Angeles went on a 15-2 run to open the second quarter. L.A. took a two-point lead, 33-31, past the midway mark. James Harden’s scoring plays, including three-pointers, helped L.A. keep the game close. Ace Bailey hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to lift Utah to a 54-53 lead into halftime.

Los Angeles went on a 12-5 run to begin the third quarter. Kris Dunn grabbed an offensive rebound, going coast-to-coast for a dunk. Utah’s buckets dazzled the home crowd. Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue successfully challenged a foul called on James Harden while defending Brice Sensabaugh. L.A. took an 89-74 lead through three quarters.

Los Angeles’ offense continued to dominate in the fourth quarter. Los Angeles went on a 11-5 run. James Harden joined just LeBron James and Oscar Robertson to be in the top 12 in both points (28,764) and assists (8,655) in NBA history. L.A. won 115-103 in regulation.

Next Steps

The Jazz continue the homestand against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Mountain. The Jazz’s resilience and completive spirit can lead to a huge performance against a Warriors squad with a strong defense and a high-scoring offense.

The Clippers continue the road trip at the Denver Nuggets on Friday at 7:00 p.m. Mountain. The Clippers’ total steals, player performances, and recent wins can lead to a potential win over the Nuggets.