Utah Jazz vs Los Angeles Clippers Match Player Stats On Apr 15, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Apr 16, 2017

LOS ANGELES -- Joe Johnson hit a runner in the lane as time expired, lifting the Utah Jazz to a 97-95 victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference playoffs on Saturday at Staples Center.

Johnson scored a team-high 21 points as the Jazz prevailed despite losing center Rudy Gobert in the opening minute. Gordon Hayward contributed 19 points and 10 rebounds, George Hill added 16 points and Derrick Favors chipped in 15 points for Utah.

Blake Griffin scored 26 points for the Clippers, but only two of those came in the fourth quarter. Chris Paul had 25 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds and DeAndre Jordan collected 10 points and 15 rebounds for Los Angeles.

Gobert went down clutching his left knee less than 20 seconds into the contest after apparently bumping knees with Clippers forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. Gobert was setting a pick for Hayward when he and Mbah a Moute collided. Gobert had to be helped off the court and carried into the locker room.

Gobert was scheduled for an MRI exam later Saturday.

Favors made one of two foul shots for a 95-93 lead with 18.7 seconds left. Paul's runner with 13 seconds remaining tied the score before Johnson delivered the game-winner.

Utah led by as many as eight early in the fourth quarter before Los Angeles rallied. The Clippers closed within 90-89 on a jumper by Paul with 3:10 remaining, but the Jazz answered with buckets by Hayward and Johnson, the latter coming with 1:08 left for a 94-89 advantage.

J.J. Redick's layup 23 seconds later sliced the gap to three before Griffin's two free throws pulled the Clippers within 94-93 with 23.3 seconds remaining.

NOTES: Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers was a member of the 1992 Clippers team that lost to the Jazz in five games in the opening round of the playoffs. The series was overshadowed by the riots in Los Angeles after the Rodney King verdicts were handed down. "It was a crazy series. I remember being down 0-2 and then we win Game 3 and it looks like we're getting some momentum, and then the Rodney King riots started," said Rivers, who spent one season with the Clippers as a player. "L.A. was closed. We couldn't find anywhere to practice." Game 4, which the Clippers won, was played at the Anaheim Convention Center for precautionary reasons. Utah returned home and prevailed in Game 5. ... Clippers G Austin Rivers (left hamstring strain) will miss at least the first two games of the series. ... Games 3 and 4 will be at Utah on Friday and April 23.