UTAH JAZZ
Jazz Break Open Game Against Clippers With Big Second Quarter
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz broke open their game against the Los Angeles Clippers with a 41-point explosive during the second quarter.
The Jazz hosted the Clippers at Vivint Arena on Friday, March 18.
Utah opened the game with a strong start and a 30-20 lead following the first quarter.
The Jazz continued to play well during the final 12 minutes of the first half thanks to an impressive defensive performance and an offensive explosive.
Utah outscored Los Angeles in the second quarter by a palindrome of 41-14.
At the break, Utah owned a massive 71-34 lead. During the first half, the Jazz shot 52.7 percent overall and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc. By comparison, the Clippers shot 27.5 percent, including 31.3 percent from distance.
Four Jazz players reached double figures in scoring and were led by Rudy Gobert’s 13 points. Gobert added 12 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.
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.
