The LA Clippers cut the music and beat the Jazz 102-84

Off to a rocky start against the Utah Jazz, the LA Clippers’ communication on both offense and defense was the key to a successful win over the Jazz’s strong defense and slow pace.

The First Half

The first game without guard Miloš Teodosic, who’s out indefinitely due to a plantar fascia injury, showed the Clippers lacking rhythm on offense. But despite an abundance of turnovers and missed shots from LAC; Patrick Beverley‘s fast paced play is what kept the Clippers alive in the game early on. He totaled out at an impressive 10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in the first.

But of course I can’t give all of the credit to Mr. 94 Feet. Both the starters and the bench were able to pull through and keep us ahead for the most part of the first half. Blake Griffin, who played phenomenally in the first two games, was a little cold starting off. He had 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. Austin Rivers, the 25 year old guard who’d been struggling at the start of the season, was able to make decent numbers. He contributed 7 points and 2 assists at the half. At the center spot, DeAndre Jordan continues to grab rebounds and even score a bit early in the game. He was able to get 4 points, and grab 12 rebounds in the first half alone.

Side note, I should mention that the total number of rebounds by DeAndre Jordan at the end of the game, 18, equal to $1,800 that will be donated to Houston relief via DJ’s Rebounds to Rebuild.

The Second Half

I wish I knew what Doc Rivers said to the Clippers in the locker room during half time. But whatever he said sparked a fire in the Clippers coming in the the second half of tonight’s ball game.

It was actually DJ who told the team to “pick it up.” He and Griffin, the leaders of the team are proving to be just that:

Now, for a minute the boys were unstoppable! They came out swinging and went on a 9-0 run, putting necessary stops to the Jazz’s defense and offense. Although that run was halted by Rudy Gobert; the boys never folded. They did give up 13 points decreasing what was a 20 point lead to just 7. But after the Clippers took a timeout, Blake came back with a huge stepback three pointer and the Clippers got their groove back.

The Clips fought hard and  pushed a 7-2 run which put them up 100-84 with only 1:40 left in the 4th. And by Lawler’s Law, first to a hundred wins and that was all she wrote. “It’s the law.”

In Closing

This is what this new Clippers team is all about this season. They are playing very hard, very smart and extremely tough. But not only that, they’re playing for each other and this has been extremely important in these first three games. And with Miloš out, Rivers stepped up and put up great numbers. The bench performed amazing despite Utah Jazz’s defense being as strong as it was. It seemed like the Clips were having a hard time feeling out the Jazz’s pace. But once they did there was no slowing down.

The game ended with the Clippers winning 102-84 in a well deserved, yet hard fought victory over the Jazz. That’s puts us up at 3-0 so far into the season. And for my stat fans out there, this is why we won:

Starters

• Blake Griffin (MVP): 22 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block
• Patrick Beverly: 19 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
• Austin Rivers: 16 points, 2 assists, 1 steal
• Danilo Gallinari: 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
• DeAndre Jordan: 11 points, 18 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals

Bench

• Lou Williams: 9 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal
• Wesley Johnson: 5 points, 1 rebound, 2 steals, 2 blocks
• Willie Reed: 4 points, 4 rebounds
• Sindarius Thornwell: 2 points

On October 26th, the LA Clippers play the Portland Trail Blazers on the road. I have high hopes for that game, considering the team’s performances so far. And remember to check in with us over @ClipperholicsFS on Twitter for live tweets during the games!