The series between the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz is balanced on a knife edge. Game five in the NBA series will take place on Wednesday evening, as both sides will be looking to get their noses into the lead.
Clippers vs Jazz Schedule
- When: Wednesday, June 16th
- Where: Vivint Arena, Utah
- How To Watch: NBA League Pass
Clippers vs Jazz Preview
Clippers Storm Back To Tie Series
Not for the first time in the playoffs this season, the Los Angeles Clippers have stormed back from a two game deficit to tie the series. Many would have considered that to be unlikely after the first two games of the series, but they were excellent once again in game four on Monday evening. Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points in the 118-104 victory, before the former Finals MVP was forced to miss the closing stages of the game.
It hasn’t been revealed yet whether he will return in time for the next game, but it’s hard to support the Clippers without their star man. Paul George was also excellent in game four, as he also scored 31 points. Marcus Morris Sr also chipped in with 24 points. However, no other Clippers players scored more that ten points in the victory.
Jazz Made To Pay For Slow Start
The Jazz always looked to have their back against the wall in game four, as they started the game extremely slowly. They scored just 13 points compared to the 30 recorded by the Clippers in the opening quarter. However, they came storming back in the second half, as they outscored the Clippers in both of the final periods. However, that late charge came too late in the day for the Jazz to have a realistic chance of claiming the win. Donovan Mitchell scored the most points in the game, as the guard finished with an incredible 37.
Joe Ingles and Bojan Bogdanovic both scored 19 and 18 points respectively. Rudy Gobert was the only other Jazz player to score more than ten. It was their inaccuracy from the field that really went against them on Monday evening, as they averaged just 42.9% compared to the 46.8% that the Clippers were averaging. However, if they can bounce back, then they could get their noses back into the lead.
Recent Meetings
The Jazz and Clippers have met on 19 occasions in the playoffs. Utah hold the narrow advantage, as they have recorded 12 wins, while the Clippers have won seven times. Furthermore, the Jazz have progressed on all three occasions that the franchises have met in the post-season.
Clippers vs Jazz Pick
The Jazz were very slow starters in the most recent game between the franchises. However, we expect them to put that disappointing start between them when the sides meet on Wednesday. We still find it hard to bet against the Jazz progressing through this series.
