Paul George, Kawhi Leonard Shine in Clippers' Game 3 Win over Donovan Mitchell, Jazz
A return to Staples Center was exactly what the Los Angeles Clippers needed against the Utah Jazz as Kawhi Leonard and Co. picked up their first victory of the Western Conference Semifinals, 132-106, in Game 3.
Leonard and Paul George combined for 65 points in the win as L.A. still trails in the series 2-1 but avoids the brink of an almost certain elimination. No team in NBA history has ever come back to win a series after going down 3-0. Game 4 will remain just as imperative for the Clippers, however, as only 13 teams have come back to win after trailing 3-1.
With Game 5 in Utah, there's little room for error throughout the rest of the series.
Donovan Mitchell and Joe Ingles combined for 49 points in the loss as Mike Conley remains out with a hamstring injury.
Notable Performers
Kawhi Leonard, SF, Los Angeles Clippers: 34 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists
Paul George, SG, Los Angeles Clippers: 31 points, 5 assists (6 three-pointers)
Donovan Mitchell, SG, Utah Jazz: 30 points, 5 rebounds (5 three-pointers)
Rudy Gobert, C, Utah Jazz: 12 points, 10 rebounds
Playoff P Arrives
The biggest criticism of Paul George in the postseason isn’t that he’s not capable of carrying his teams. It’s that he is, but he hasn't lived up to that promise yet.
Saturday against the Jazz helped start to turn that narrative around with his most points in a game this postseason.
George played one of his best halves of basketball of the season on both ends of the floor. Not only did he keep Donovan Mitchell from scoring until midway through the second quarter, he poured in 20 points with three assists in the process.
“They lit a fire under us," George told the ESPN broadcast after the win. "We had to come out and protect our home court.”
Coming into Game 3, George hadn’t scored more than 29 points in a playoff game this season and was averaging 23.5 points per game to start the Western Conference Semifinals. Simply put, with L.A. facing a season-defining matchup, George showed why criticism against him as always seemed so harsh—because he was capable of outings like this.
The swingman began the night by slowly expanding his range in the first quarter, going three-of-five from behind the arc in the second quarter, then getting any shot he wanted in the second half. That helped George finish 12-of-24 from the field (six-of-10 from three) and keep the Clippers alive in the series.
Buoyed by a lights-out shooting performance from Reggie Jackson (17 points, five three-pointers), and aided on defense by Leonard, George helped L.A. outscore Utah in every quarter except the third (34-30), leading to a runaway fourth quarter that saw the Clippers close out on a 38-23 run.
Los Angeles is more than capable of tying this series, so long as George continues to produce at this level. If not, that criticism will creep back in just as quickly as he erased it on Saturday.
Those are the stakes for a player with George’s skillset. Especially in the playoffs.
Utah's Second-Round Setback
The Jazz had won six straight playoff games ahead of Saturday's contest ,so it's no surprise to see their opponents adjust.
What the Game 3 loss showed is just how much the Jazz will have to adjust back. Utah guard Mike Conley (hamstring) has been out for the first three games of the series and Saturday may have been the first time his absence was too much to overcome.
While Jordan Clarkson and Ingles provided plenty of support for Mitchell in the backcourt, the struggled to help draw the defense away from Utah's star guard and help create open looks for him.
George explained how rather simply how the Clippers approached guarding Mitchell after the win.
“We just got to show him a bunch of bodies," George told ESPN. "Show him a bunch of looks and can’t allow him to play one-on-one. He’s got to play in crowd. He’s going to score, but we’ve got to make it hard for him.”
L.A. certainly accomplished that. Mitchell didn't record his first points until 7:34 in the second quarter—though he'd go onto score 16 straight points for the Jazz after getting his first shot to go down.
Without much room to maneuver in the backcourt, Mitchell was constantly forced to shoot over multiple defenders leading to an 11-of-24 night overall from the floor. He'd go onto exit after appearing to irk his ankle with 6:56 left in the fourth quarter and Los Angeles running away with the lead.
Utah coach Quinn Snyder said Mitchell could've returned to the game but the risk at that point wasn't worth it.
Instead the Jazz took their first round of the series and began looking ahead to Game 4. They'll have to hope Conley is finally able to return or figure out another to keep the Clippers from crowding Mitchell on every possesion.
What's Next?
Game 4 is set for 10 p.m. ET on June 14 at Staples Center live on TNT.
