Clippers Force Game 7 With Win Over Jazz

By Connor Aylward
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Updated: April 28, 2017

After a game 5 loss to the Utah Jazz the Los Angeles Clippers were forced into a must-win game in Salt Lake City Friday night.

With a 3-2 series lead the Utah Jazz were in the drivers seat at Vivint Smart Home Arena but it was Chris Paul that was in control. Paul jumped out to a scorching start getting 8 points in the first quarter alone.

ALL. OF. THIS. pic.twitter.com/X8IbM677dJ

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) April 29, 2017

Paul kept his groove throughout the contest and started to chip in some assists to go with his scoring punch. He closed out his night with a key 29 points and 8 assists.

Paul clearly put everything he had into this matchup but the Clippers wouldn’t win unless he got some help from his teammates. Help they did, Luc Mbah a Moute had an impact on both ends of the floor and in a rare performance for the defensive juggernaut he score 13 points and contributed on the glass as well with 6 rebounds. Mbah a Moute started at Power Forward tonight in the Clippers attempt to speed up the pace and put Austin Rivers in at the Small Forward spot.

While the Clippers used Rivers to pick up the pace and create opportunities on the perimeter, the premier battle of this contest was down in the paint. The dueling bigs DeAndre Jordan and Rudy Gobert were fighting all night long on the block. Jordan lacked energy early on and it showed on the defensive end as he ended up with 0 blocks. His Jazz counterpart Gobert had no such problem. Gobert had 3 blocks to go with 15 points and 9 rebounds. In the third quarter Gobert would tweak an ankle and returned sparsely after that time, this was when Jordan ceased an advantaged. Jordan finished up with 13 points and 18 rebounds.

A tight game throughout, Los Angeles started to pull away in the third after a run sparked by Paul.

Clippers on a 15-2 run. Chris Paul is amazing. Knows he is going to check out for a rest and is using every ounce of energy he has

— David Locke (@Lockedonsports) April 29, 2017

A late run by the Jazz brought the game within 3 but it would be the Clippers who hold on and get the 98-93 victory in Utah.

A great win for the Clippers in a back and forth critical game. Game 7 will be Sunday back at Staples Center.

Thanks for reading along Clipper nation. Here’s to finishing the series out with a win at home.

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