The Morning After: Clippers slip and fall to Jazz 96-92

April 25, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) moves to the basket against Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) during the second half in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /

1 of 5

In game 5 of the playoffs, the LA Clippers fell short to the Utah Jazz, 96-92.

Tuesday evening, the LA Clippers fell into a dangerous 3-2 hole against the Utah Jazz. They spent most of their 96-92 loss trying to keep up with the Jazz, who once again set the tone and pace for the game.

In the second full game played without Blake Griffin, the Clippers continued to struggle, especially on the offensive end. While Chris Paul put up 28 points, 9 assists and 4 rebounds and J.J. Redick contributed 26 points, it wasn’t enough to will the team to a W.

One continuing trend in each game of the series is that the team that scores more points in the paint goes on to win the game. Last night that was the Jazz, outscoring the Clippers 34-28. This is just one aspect of the game that is altered with Griffin out. With Rudy Gobert on the floor, the Clippers have a hard time scoring in the paint, especially DeAndre Jordan. However, they must find a way to do so if they want to steal game 6 in Salt Lake City.

Here are four takeaways from a gritty game in Los Angeles.

Home/Clippers News