SALT LAKE CITY – Nickeil Alexander-Walker got off to a fast start during the opening minutes of Utah’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Jazz hosted the Clippers at Vivint Arena on Friday, March 18.

Alexander-Walker started for the first time as a member of the Jazz.

With 11:01 remaining in the opening quarter, Alexander-Walker knocked down a 16-foot pullup jumper. The shot gave the Jazz an early 4-2 lead.

During his first seven minutes on the court, Alexander-Walker scored seven points on 3-4 field goals. He was 1-2 on shots from beyond the arc. Alexander-Walker posted a plus-six rating during his first stint of game time against the Clippers.

This season as a member of the Jazz, Alexander-Walker is averaging 3.1 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 7.9 minutes per game. He’s appeared in nine games for Utah.

Clippers vs. Jazz

The Jazz currently sit tied with the Dallas Mavericks for the fourth seed in the Western Conference at 43-26.

Due to owning a 2-1 lead in the season series so far this season, the Jazz would own the tiebreaker if the playoff started today.

However, the Mavericks and Jazz will face off one last time during the regular season on March 27 in what could ultimately decide the final season standings.

The Jazz sit just 1.5 games up on the Denver Nuggets for the sixth seed in the West, and could potentially drop into the 3-6 matchup in the playoffs if they are overtaken by both teams.

The Mavericks will face the 76ers in Philadelphia tonight while the Nuggets will play the Cavaliers in Cleveland.

The Jazz won’t find any sympathy from the Clippers when it comes to injuries this season as LA has been without Kawhi Leonard for the entirety of the season and without Paul George for the last several months.

Leonard has a torn ACL and is expected to miss the remainder of the season while George has returned to light workouts with the team, but a return is unclear.

As it stands, the Clippers sit in the eighth seed in the Western Conference and will need to win a game in the play-in tournament to qualify for the postseason.

In addition to George and Leonard, the Clippers are without Norman Powell is suffered a toe injury shortly after being acquired by the team at the trade deadline.

Utah’s game against Los Angeles is broadcast on AT&T SportsNet, NBA League Pass, and The Zone Sports Network.

Follow @kyleireland