The Sports Xchange
Dec 1, 2017
LOS ANGELES -- Alec Burks scored 28 points, and Donovan Mitchell added 24 as the Utah Jazz moved their win streak to four games with a 126-107 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.
Utah (11-11) improved to 2-7 away from home this year, with the other victory coming at Orlando on Nov. 18.
It was only the fourth time the Jazz defeated the Clippers in the past 23 meetings. Los Angeles held an 81-74 lead in the third quarter, but Utah had a 20-13 advantage the remainder of the period and never looked back.
Austin Rivers scored a season-high 25 points for the short-handed Clippers, who saw their three-game win streak come to an end. Lou Williams scored 20 points for Los Angeles, while DeAndre Jordan grabbed 16 rebounds and added eight points.
The Clippers (8-12) were without four of their five starters from opening night: forwards Blake Griffin (knee) and Danilo Gallinari (hip), and guards Patrick Beverley (knee) and Milos Teodosic (foot). Griffin, who could miss as much as two months with his knee sprain, was out of action for the first time this season.
The Jazz were dealing with their own injuries, playing without Rudy Gobert (leg), Joe Johnson (wrist), Dante Exum (shoulder) and Rudy Hood (ankle). However, Gobert has missed nine games, allowing the Jazz time to form a new up-tempo identity that they used to run away from the Clippers in the second half.
Thabo Sefolosha and Ricky Rubio each scored 15 points for the Jazz, while Jonas Jerebko added 14. Derrick Favors led Utah with 12 rebounds to go along with 12 points.
NOTES: Clippers F Danilo Gallinari, who has missed the past 11 games with a hip strain, is another three to four games away from returning, according to coach Doc Rivers. ... Injuries necessitated that Clippers F/C Montrezl Harrell make his first start of the season. Harrell, who scored 13 points, has not played in six games this season (coach's decision). ... With his 24 points Thursday, Jazz G Donovan Mitchell has now scored in double figures in 10 of the past 11 games. ... Jazz F Joe Ingles made three 3-pointers against the Clippers. He has hit at least three 3-pointers 11 times this season.