The Los Angeles Clippers enter this playoff series with the Utah Jazz on a hot streak. LA has won seven straight games, and 11 of their last 13 overall. Clippers are back to playing at a very high level, recovering from a mid-season plague of injuries. However, the Utah Jazz are also playing top-tier basketball, leading this off to an interesting best of seven playoff series. Game 1 preview underway.
Lately the LA Clippers have obliterated the Utah Jazz. LA took three of four meetings this season, also winning 18 of the last 20 against the Jazz. When both teams are healthy, the Clippers are the superior overall team; especially when owning home-court this series. They have played extremely well, and have earned home-court from their winning streak and owning the tie breaker. After all, LA is the more playoff experienced team, punching their ticket to the playoffs for the sixth straight year. Meanwhile, Utah is returning to the postseason for the first time since 2012.
Before squeezing by the Golden State Warriors in the finale of the regular season for Utah, they have lost six of their last seven games on the road. The LA Clippers have not lost a game at home since that disastrous meltdown to the Sacramento Kings who rallied from being down 18 in the fourth quarter. The Clips’ have to be loving their home-court advantage when thinking about that. This is a tale of two teams heading if different directions, but come playoff time every team is 0-0.
ESPN reports, that head coach Doc Rivers will be the first to not let their recent play hold an edge.
"“Honestly, as I know and you know, it still starts all over, whether you’re playing well or not. Saturday it doesn’t matter if Utah’s been playing great or not or (if we’ve) been playing great or not. It starts all over and you have to be ready.”"
Everything points to this series being a physical one, from the battle of big players, to the altercation still lingering from Utah’s only victory. Near the end of that game, Chris Paul and Rudy Gobert exchanged heated conversation anticipating more animosity. Gobert will be matched with DeAndre Jordan, who is equally as aggressive and will not back down now that it is playoff time. Playoffs start Saturday night and we will see who lands the first punch in this physical best of seven series after Game 1.