All signs pointed to a Utah win on Wednesday night in their series with the Los Angeles Clippers, as Kawhi Leonard went down with a possible ACL tear in Game 4, leaving the Clippers without their top star. However, “Playoff P” showed up, as Paul George carried the team to a 119-111 win in Salt Lake City to give the Clippers a 3-2 series lead and push the Jazz to the brink of elimination. Now let’s look at Game 6, as the Jazz head down to Los Angeles to try and save their season.
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NBA News: Western Conference Games (June 18)
Friday, June 18
Utah Jazz at L.A. Clippers
Game 6 (10:00 pm ET, ESPN) | Clippers lead, 3-2
As Kawhi watched from the sideline, Paul George had a transcendent night, going off for 37 points, 16 boards and five assists. No other Clipper had ever had a 35-15-5 night in a postseason game before George did it. Marcus Morris added 25, and Reggie Jackson chipped in 22. The Clippers shot 51 percent from the floor as a team against a Utah defense that showed up to play.
For the Jazz, Bojan Bogdanovic knocked down nine three-balls, totaling 32 points to lead the way. Donovan Mitchell scored 21 points, and Rudy Gobert added 17 points and 11 boards. All in all, six Jazz players hit double figures, but it was not enough, as the Utah defense could not slow down the Clippers when they needed to.
It also didn’t help that Utah’s offense went cold in the third period, as they made only six shots. Mitchell did convert a three-point play to make it a 100-97 Clippers lead midway through the fourth quarter, but then Jackson knocked down back-to-back shots to pull away, and the Jazz did not have another rally left in them.
Mike Conley remains on the bench for the Jazz, as his ailing hamstring keeps him out. The team made a record 10 three-pointers in the first quarter, going 13 of 18 overall. Bogdanovic made six of those three-balls, tying the NBA playoff record for three-pointers made in one quarter. The Jazz actually went 17 of 30 during the first half from behind the arc to build a ten-point lead, but once the shots stopped falling, the Clippers went to work and took the lead.
Terence Mann got his first postseason start in place of Leonard, and he had 13 points and two steals. Paul George has scored at least 20 points in all five games of this series. Utah turned the ball over six times in the first quarter and 11 times in the first half, leading to 17 Clipper points — in a game that ended up decided by just eight.
One question for the Jazz is Mitchell’s ankle. He’s still suffering from aftereffects of his April injury, including a lack of explosiveness when he has the ball, and he showed signs of pain after scoring during the fourth quarter. After the game, he was frustrated about the limitations on his game. Without Leonard in the game, the Jazz should be able to impose their will — but will they?
Final Prediction:
Jazz 111, Clippers 107
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