Utah Jazz

The Los Angeles Clippers are two wins away from their first trip to the Western Conference Finals in franchise history.

L.A. evened its second-round playoff series against the Utah Jazz at 2-2 with a 118-104 victory in Monday's Game 4 at Staples Center. Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Marcus Morris Sr. led the way in the winning effort and ensured the pattern of the home team winning every game in this series continued.

An impressive showing from Donovan Mitchell wasn't enough for the Jazz, who remained without Mike Conley because of a hamstring injury.

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Notable Player Stats

• Kawhi Leonard, F, LAC: 31 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL
• Paul George, G, LAC: 31 PTS, 9 REB, 4 AST
• Marcus Morris Sr., F, LAC: 24 PTS, 6 REB, 5-of-6 3PT
• Donovan Mitchell, G, UTA: 37 PTS, 5 AST, 5 REB
• Bojan Bogdanovic, F, UTA: 18 PTS, 5 AST, 3 REB, 2 STL
• Joe Ingles, G, UTA: 19 PTS, 3 AST, 3 REB

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Clippers Cruise Behind Kawhi and PG13

Nobody in the entire league was under as much scrutiny entering these playoffs as George and the Clippers, who failed to capitalize on championship expectations last year in large part because the seven-time All-Star struggled as they blew a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets in the second round.

The criticism was there once again when they fell behind 2-0 to the Dallas Mavericks in the first round and 2-0 to the Jazz in this round.

Yet they continue to bounce back, and George was a big part of the early efforts Monday with his rebounding, outside shooting and ability to get to the free-throw line. Throw in Leonard posterizing Derrick Favors with a monster slam as he continued to get to the rim and Morris catching fire from long range, and Los Angeles looked downright unstoppable in the first half.

OMG KAWHI.

WHAT. https://t.co/INZlvMzxvi

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 15, 2021

TUFF. pic.twitter.com/7EruNjvWiY

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 15, 2021

PG FEELIN IT 😤 https://t.co/ft6crvpVR2

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 15, 2021

Kawhi and the Clippers locked in 😳 pic.twitter.com/diMTIogkcU

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 15, 2021

Third duo in NBA history to each score 20+ points in their team’s first 11 games of the postseason. pic.twitter.com/SgtTxFJ38U

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) June 15, 2021

Access denied. 🚫 pic.twitter.com/xoi0r6Fpd9

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) June 15, 2021

The Clippers of old may have folded when the Jazz made a charge to start the third quarter as they cut the 29-point lead in half with multiple three-pointers and transition opportunities.

Instead, George dunked in the lane and hit a three, Leonard hit his patented pull-up jumpers, and the defense delivered on important possessions to make sure the visitors didn't generate too much momentum.

That was all that was needed thanks to the early dominance, and Ivica Zubac's tip-in to end the third quarter and push the lead back to 21 seemingly ended any chance the Jazz had at completing a dramatic comeback. The only real concern was Leonard, who didn't play in the final minutes after slightly limping and rubbing his knee.

Leonard is a given if healthy as a two-time NBA Finals MVP who can carry the team on both ends, but the Clippers need George to play to his potential if they are going to win this series and the title. It is encouraging that he responded in his second consecutive pressure-packed contest after pouring in 31 points in Game 3, and the team will look to build on that on the road.

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Donovan Mitchell's Big Scoring Night Not Enough for Jazz

There was reason for concern from Utah's perspective even before Monday's game.

After all, Conley still hasn't played yet in this series, which has left it without its floor general who sets up others for ideal looks and hits from the outside when needed. Mitchell also limped multiple times throughout the Game 3 loss, and it is nearly impossible to envision the Jazz winning this series if he is sidelined.

Things didn't get much better out of the gates for the visitors in Game 4, as they fell behind by as many as 29 points and looked completely lost on the defensive side for extended stretches.

6 straight 30+ point games for @spidadmitchell 💥#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/FgOGaxnubb

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) June 15, 2021

Pat Bev and Spida going all out 😂 https://t.co/UnQur5QWKo

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 15, 2021

Don with 21 points & 4 threes at the half 🕸#MACU3 | @MountainAmerica pic.twitter.com/fJjsjMYWpK

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) June 15, 2021

on the second jump 🚫#TakeNote | @rudygobert27 pic.twitter.com/Izsuo7zcdE

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) June 15, 2021

The one silver lining was the performance of Mitchell. The two-time All-Star did what he could to keep his team within striking distance by slashing through the lane, finishing through contact and connecting from three-point range. He poured in 21 points in the first half alone as the only member of his team in double figures.

Rudy Gobert didn't even attempt a shot from the field in the first half, and the supporting cast was nowhere to be found until the Jazz picked up the pace in the third quarter and started looking for quick three-pointers.

While Mitchell forced the issue at times and ended up with five turnovers, he continued to create scoring opportunities for himself and reached the 30-point mark for the sixth straight game. Joe Ingles and Bojan Bogdanovic also picked up their play with perimeter shooting, which at least gives the Jazz something to build on heading back home.

Still, Jordan Clarkson didn't provide his typical scoring (3-of-12 from the field), and Utah was never able to dig out of the significant hole it found itself in following an abysmal first half.

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What's Next?

The series shifts back to Utah for Wednesday's Game 5.

Utah Jazz point guard Mike Conley will miss Monday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers with an ongoing hamstring injury. 

Conley aggravated the injury in Game 5 of the Jazz's first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies and hasn't played since. 

He was a major factor in the first three games of the postseason, scoring at least 20 points in each outing. 

He averaged 17.4 points, 8.6 assists and 3.8 rebounds in the first-round series.

The 33-year-old appeared in 51 games during the regular season with averages of 16.2 points, 6.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds.

He missed 21 games during the campaign, his 14th in the league, while dealing with hamstring tightness.

Before the second round, he told reporters he was hoping to be on the court against the Clippers, noting his latest injury felt better than the one that kept him out for nine games at the end of the season:

"My mindset is, I’m going to be ready to play. That’s kind of the visual I put in front of myself: 'I’m going to be ready.' But at the same time, we’re going to see what happens in the next few days and be smart about how we approach it going into this next series." 

That hasn't come to fruition, though there seemed to be some hope Sunday when he was listed as questionable for Game 4. 

The Jazz have a 2-1 advantage in the series. 

The Utah Jazz announced point guard Mike Conley will remain sidelined by a hamstring injury for Game 3 of their second-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Conley suffered a mild right hamstring strain in the final game of the team's first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies on June 2. He was previously listed as questionable for Saturday's game.

The 2021 All-Star was off to a strong start in the playoffs before the injury. He averaged 20.0 points, 10.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds across the first four games of the Grizzlies series. He also knocked down 16 threes while shooting 53.3 percent from beyond the arc in those contests.

Conley, who missed 21 games because of multiple hamstring issues during the regular season, was limited to under 12 minutes in the clinching game against Memphis, and he hasn't returned to the lineup against the Clippers.

"Hopefully, we'll get him back as quickly as possible," Jazz head coach Quin Snyder told reporters before Game 2. "But those things are hard to predict."

Utah has still managed to secure a 2-0 lead on L.A. in large part thanks to the tremendous play of fellow guard Donovan Mitchell. He's tallied 82 points, 12 threes, nine assists and six rebounds in the series, though he dealt with an ankle injury scare late in Game 2.

"I got hit and it hurt, but I'm fine now," Mitchell said after the game. "I walked in here. If you want me to sprint for you, I can. I'm good. You know, s--t happens. Thankfully, it wasn't bad. Move on and get ready for Game 3."

Mitchell's strong play along with reserves Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles stepping up to fill the backcourt void left by Conley has the Western Conference's top seed in control against the Clippers.

A win Saturday to take a 3-0 lead would give the Jazz more flexibility to remain cautious with their starting point guard's return. The situation will become more pressing if the Clippers are able to tighten the series while back home at Staples Center.

Conley's next chance to return will come in Game 4, which is set for Monday night at 10 p.m. ET on TNT.

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard said the team won't back down from the challenge of trying to come back from a 2-0 series deficit for the second straight series after a Game 2 loss to the Utah Jazz on Thursday night.

"We all got to put our will out on the floor," Leonard told reporters. "You know, see what we did in the first two games and try to limit our mistakes and just keep going on from there pretty much. We'll see [on Friday] what we got to do, and we've got a lot of fight left. So you know, we're up for the challenge."

The Clippers trailed their first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks at 2-0 and 3-2 before winning the final two games to advance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-YMtyvf8l0

L.A. had three players surpass 20 points in Game 2 against the Jazz—Reggie Jackson (29), Paul George (27) and Leonard (21)—but no other player scored more than eight, and the team struggled mightily to come up with key stops defensively.

Utah shot 55.3 percent from the field and knocked down 20 threes en route to the commanding 2-0 series advantage. Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 37 after scoring 45 in Game 1.

George explained the Clippers are "optimistic that we can get this under control" and get the series back level with the next two games on their home floor at Staples Center.

"We've got to give them credit," George said. "This is a tough opponent. They weren't No. 1 in the West for no reason. ... But, you know, we are approaching this the same way Dallas was—we still feel we have a lot of possessions that we can clean up, a lot of possessions that are hurting us that's our fault."

It was a similar story against Dallas. Los Angeles allowed 240 points over the first two games before holding Dallas to an average of 100.4 points over the final five games to turn the series around.

The Clippers will need to up their defensive performance once again if they're going to forge another comeback against the more well-rounded Jazz, who ranked third in the NBA in offensive efficiency during the regular season, per ESPN.

Game 3 is a virtual must-win situation for L.A. Utah posted the league's best record at home (31-5) during the regular season, so any comeback that would have to include two victories on the road would represent a likely insurmountable deficit.

Leonard, George and Co. can get right back in the series by defending their own home floor, though. The next game comes Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell said his ankle injury isn't a concern despite being struck late in Thursday's Game 2 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in the teams' second-round playoff series.

"I got hit and it hurt, but I'm fine now," Mitchell told reporters after scoring a game-high 37 points in the 117-111 victory. "I walked in here. If you want me to sprint for you, I can. I'm good. You know, s--t happens. Thankfully, it wasn't bad. Move on and get ready for Game 3."

The Jazz hold a 2-0 lead as the series shifts to Staples Center in L.A. for the next two contests.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEoaZpDWDpE

Mitchell missed the start of the postseason with a sprained ankle that sidelined him from April 16 through May 26. He's played the Jazz's last six playoff games, and the team hasn't lost since his return, winning four straight games against the Memphis Grizzlies and the first two against the Clippers.

The 24-year-old two-time All-Star torched L.A. to help Utah defended its home-court advantage. He's averaged 41.0 points, 4.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 52.5 percent from the field and 45.0 percent from three so far in the conference semifinals.

"He's just stepping up in a big way," Jazz teammate Jordan Clarkson said after Game 2. "He's been a real superstar, MVP-caliber player, All-NBA type of guy. That's his job, and that's what he does."

Mitchell's contributions, especially in helping run the offense, have been crucial with starting point guard Mike Conley missing the series' first two games with a hamstring injury.

Clarkson scored 24 points off the bench in Game 2, while Rudy Gobert added 13 points, 20 rebounds and three blocks to help the Jazz gain firm control of the series.

"I don't feel like I have to go out there and do everything," Mitchell said. "I think that's a credit to my teammates, credit to the guys that we have on this team. They can go out there and make plays. ... I don't feel like I have to go up there, walk it up, do everything. There are times where I will have to do that. That's just part of my job, but for me, it's great to have a group of guys that trust you and you trust. You just go out there and play and have fun."

It appears Mitchell avoided any injury setback Thursday night, and now the focus shifts to Game 3 as Utah attempts to push the Clippers to the brink of elimination. Tip off is scheduled for Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson took a stand against racism in his team's home state after seeing the hateful anti-Asian messages and images spray-painted on the World Famous Yum Yum Food Truck, which serves Asian fusion and Filipino food in northern Utah.

He joined with vehicle wrap company Identity Graphx and local politicians to restore the truck, which will be reintroduced Saturday at the Philippine Independence Day celebration in Salt Lake City.

Jordan Clarkson helped give a Filipino food truck in Utah a new paint job after it was vandalized with anti-Asian graffiti 🙏 pic.twitter.com/JASQfIyVIu

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 9, 2021

Clarkson spoke with Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN about his thoughts when he saw the racist messages:

If you want me to be real honest, my first reaction was, 'This is bulls--t!' I was just like, 'We can't be f--king doing this.' Those were the exact words that came out of my mouth to my boys, my family and everybody that was around me. So they were like, let's do something [about it].

There's just no room for that, especially right now. It's been tough, tough years on this Earth, this country, this world. There's a lot of stuff going on. I feel like us together, and everybody finding a peace, will make things a lot more comforting in this world. We ain't got no room for the hate no more. That's got to go out of the window real quick.

Youngmisuk reported Clarkson also paid for interior cleaning and detailing and offered financial support to the owners Ben and Erin Pierce.

The truck's owners thanked Clarkson and others involved in a Facebook post:

It has been an emotional few days. The love and support that we got from all of you has been deeply heartfelt. My family can't thank you guys enough. Special thanks to Utah Jazz's Jordan Clarkson and Dan from Identity graphics for the new look. We want to thank everyone individually in a couple weeks when we have our LOVE celebration in the park and feed the community. Thanks to Mayor Joy Petro, Councilman Clint Morris, Councilman Zach Bloxham, Dustin, everyone in the neighborhood and all of you angels. Love prevails. We are going to have our grand reopening this Saturday at the Philippine independence day celebration in slc.

The spray-paint was just another example of racism that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have recently faced in the United States.

"From March 2020 to March 2021, there were more than 6,600 anti-Asian hate incidents documented by Stop AAPI Hate," Youngmisuk wrote. "Asian-targeted hate crimes in the biggest U.S. cities spiked 145% in 2020 compared to 2019, according to The Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino."

Clarkson wants to use his platform to help change that.

"It is a big thing that we are trying to really change and really be a part of, especially here in Utah," Clarkson said. "It is kind of a worldwide thing that is going on that you see is a movement with everything. Black Lives Matter, Stop Asian Hate, all of these things are being put into really the eye of everybody now because everybody has social media, everybody has phones. I feel like a lot of this has been going on for a long time."

The guard invited the truck's owners and employees to attend Game 2 of Utah's second-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.

Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson helped restore a Filipino food truck that was vandalized last week with racist slurs and derogatory images.

According to Austin Facer of ABC 4, Clarkson was one of a number of people who joined IdentityGraphx and helped restore the World Famous Yum Yum Food Truck, which serves Asian fusion and Filipino food in northern Utah, after the vandalism.

Jordan Clarkson helped give a Filipino food truck in Utah a new paint job after it was vandalized with anti-Asian graffiti 🙏 pic.twitter.com/JASQfIyVIu

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 9, 2021

Layton, Utah, Mayor Joy Petro and city council members were also involved in the restoration, and the food truck revealed its new paint job before its reopening at the Philippine Independence Day celebration on Saturday in Salt Lake City.

The owners of the truck thanked those involved in a Facebook post:

It has been an emotional few days. The love and support that we got from all of you has been deeply heartfelt. My family can't thank you guys enough. Special thanks to Utah Jazz's Jordan Clarkson and Dan from Identity graphics for the new look. We want to thank everyone individually in a couple weeks when we have our LOVE celebration in the park and feed the community. Thanks to Mayor Joy Petro, Councilman Clint Morris, Councilman Zach Bloxham, Dustin, everyone in the neighborhood and all of you angels. Love prevails. We are going to have our grand reopening this Saturday at the Philippine independence day celebration in slc.

On Wednesday, Layton Police announced they are still looking for those responsible for the vandalism and offered a $500 reward for information that leads to their arrest.

Facer noted Clarkson is a Filipino-American with dual citizenship.

On the court, Clarkson's Jazz took a 1-0 lead in their second-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers with a 112-109 victory on Tuesday at Vivint Arena.

Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George said he wasn't bothered by the "Playoff P" and "overrated" chants by Utah Jazz fans during Tuesday's 112-109 Game 1 loss in the teams' Western Conference Semifinals.

George, who made just four of 17 shots from the field, said taunts on the road come with the territory.

"I like it. That part doesn't get to me. It's all respect. I've had good games here and I've had bad games here," he told reporters. "That's part of this game, to be honest. Crowd's going to be involved. You want that. As an opposing player, you kind of want that."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUQXGVcw39E

The seven-time All-Star finished the contest with 20 points, 10 rebounds and two assists. A more efficient offensive performance from him and fellow forward Marcus Morris Sr., who went 4-of-14 from the field, could have pushed the Clippers into the win column in Game 1.

Instead, L.A. will be forced to play from behind for the second straight series. It trailed the Dallas Mavericks 2-0 and 3-2 in the first round before winning the final two games to advance.

George said he felt "indecisive" with his approach offensively as Jazz center Rudy Gobert set up shop in the paint, and it's something he must improve:

"The big fella is really good at just clogging the paint up and just sitting at the rim. And a lot of plays I was just forcing myself trying to get to the basket where he's there waiting for me. So I think just being decisive on approach of setting up, getting the shots that I want while he's in those coverages."

Los Angeles must also do a better job of defending leads. It carried a 60-47 advantage into halftime but watched it evaporate as Utah won the third quarter by a 32-19 margin to get the score level.

The 31-year-old Fresno State product added the Clippers have to match the Jazz's physical play.

"It's playoff basketball," George said. "The physicality just has to be allowed on both ends, and I'll leave it at that."

L.A. has one more chance to wrestle home-court advantage away from the top-seeded Jazz before the series shifts to Staples Center for Games 3 and 4.

Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder said guard Donovan Mitchell was feeling a bit under the weather during his monster performance against the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Tuesday.

According to Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune, Snyder said: "He’s really competitive, but he's also really determined. I don't think he was feeling great—a little nauseous, a little light-headed—and he's just not going to accept that. There's nothing he's going to let get in the way of that."

Despite the apparent issues Mitchell was dealing with, he still managed to put up a game-high 45 points on 16-of-30 shooting to go along with five assists and three rebounds in top-seeded Utah's big win.

Per ESPN's Tim MacMahon, Mitchell said after the game that he wasn't necessarily 100 percent going in:

"Yeah, I was definitely feeling it a little bit, but sometimes you've just got to dig deep into a different place. I was getting my ass kicked individually in the first half on both ends of the floor. I wasn't making the right reads. Luke [Kennard] hit a bunch of shots on me, Reggie [Jackson] hit a bunch of shots on me and there were situations where I was being lazy and letting that fatigue kind of get to me.

"So, I came into halftime and just said, 'Look, I'm just going to have to find a way.'"

Mitchell was just 5-of-14 from the field and the Jazz were trailing by 13 at the break, but he turned it on in the second half, making 11 of his 16 tries from the floor.

While Mitchell's health has been a topic of conversation throughout the playoffs, Snyder said the ankle ailment that kept him out of Game 1 of Utah's first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies is fine, per Mark Medina of USA Today.

The Jazz are now 5-0 in these playoffs when Mitchell is in the lineup and 0-1 when he isn't, further underscoring his importance.

Utah was without another key player in guard Mike Conley on Tuesday because of a hamstring injury, prompting Mitchell to step up even more as a ball-handler in his absence.

Against a Clippers team that saw Kawhi Leonard dominate during the first round of the playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks, Mitchell was far and away the best player on the floor in Game 1.

The Clippers remain a highly dangerous team with Leonard and Paul George leading the way, but if Mitchell continues to play at this level and Conley returns to the fold soon, the Jazz may be the team to beat in the Western Conference.

Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell spoke about the importance of Dwyane Wade's presence within the organization following Utah's 112-109 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Tuesday.

Mitchell said his "brother" Wade gave him some advice while sitting courtside Tuesday:

"It's great to have someone that I call my brother being part of this organization." - @spidadmitchell on @DwyaneWade

Mitchell: 45 PTS in Game 1 W.. Game 2 is Thursday at 10pm/et on ESPN pic.twitter.com/8p6QzZ5LSe

— NBA (@NBA) June 9, 2021

Wade, who is almost certainly a future Hall of Famer, bought an ownership stake in the Jazz in April.

At one point during the second half, Mitchell appeared to be receiving advice and guidance from Wade, while Wade was watching the game from a courtside seat.

While multiple factors likely contributed to it, Mitchell lifted his level of play significantly in the second half and finished with a game-high 45 points on 16-of-30 shooting after going just 5-of-14 from the floor in the first half.

A big game from Mitchell was of the utmost importance Tuesday since point guard Mike Conley was out with a hamstring strain, thus forcing Mitchell to be the primary ball-handler.

Mitchell was up to the task for the top-seeded Jazz, who finished with the best record in the NBA during the regular season and took advantage of the Clippers going the distance in their previous series against the Dallas Mavericks.

Although Mitchell deserves much of the credit for what he did Tuesday, having someone with the experience and overall resume of D-Wade present to guide him was likely a comfort for the two-time All-Star.

The 39-year-old Wade is one of the greatest players in NBA history, having earned 13 All-Star nods, three NBA championships, one scoring title and one NBA Finals MVP award during his time with the Miami Heat.

Wade knows what it takes to thrive and win in the postseason, and any wisdom he is able to impart on Mitchell has to be considered a positive.

Mitchell and the Jazz still have a long way to go in the series and the playoffs as a whole, but as long as he continues to play at a high level and Wade is able to provide some quality advice along the way, Utah has a legitimate chance to go the distance.