The Los Angeles Clippers beat the Utah Jazz (131-119) on Friday, after trailing 22 points at the break (72-50). By four wins to two, the Californians edged out the best team in the regular season and advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in club history.
Four straight wins against Utah
In more ways than one, it is a real feat achieved by the Clippers who are certainly still far from a first NBA championship title, but who broke a spell, they who had attached a sign to their backs for a long time of losers, by dint of making ambition rhyme with disappointment in the play-offs.
Mann flies with 39 points
And, like the previous game at the Jazz, the Clippers played Friday’s game without their best player, Kawhi Leonard, injured in his right knee and whose absence is indefinite. This tour de force was notably due to Terance Mann (24), established for the occasion and who walked on the water with 39 points (15/21 in shooting including 7/10 at three points).
The back of the Clippers was the executioner of the Jazz, who had nevertheless started the meeting well and therefore clearly led at the break, in the wake of a Donovan Mitchell, overmotivated and very effective, since he also scored 39 points , thanks in particular to a 9/15 behind the arc.
Batum takes part in the qualification
But the Clippers were able to react with tenfold pride and inflicted a 41-22 on their opponent in the third quarter, before driving the point home in the last 12 minutes (40-25), finding in Paul George (29 points ) and Reggie Jackson (28 pts) decisive offensive weapons. Nicolas Batum also contributed to the victory and the qualification of his team, scoring 16 points and taking seven rebounds.
Opposite, apart from Mitchell, Jordan Clarkson and Royce O’Neale brought 21 points each, but it took more to snatch a seventh game. Rudy Gobert, for his part, scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. He will have to wait at least one more season before experiencing a conference final in his NBA career.