Rudy Gobert had a triumphant return in Game 4. He recorded a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds, while going a perfect 6-for-6 from the field. Add to that his two blocks and, more importantly, his 7-foot-1 frame that made life a lot tougher for a Blake Griffin-less Clippers side.
The Jazz, though, were ultimately powered by their veteran playmaker in Joe Johnson, who went off for a game-leading 28 points with five rebounds and five assists to help his team even this first-round series at 2-2
Johnson, a seven-time All-Star, is averaging 19.3 points in the entire series, earning him a new nickname ‘Iso Joe’.
The health of Gordon Hayward is the biggest concern for the Utah right now, however. The Butler product was forced to exit early in Game 4 due to food poisoning. He did make the trip to Los Angeles for Game 5, but he won’t be at a hundred percent. Hayward is putting up 26.3 points and 8.3 rebounds in the first three games.
Chris Paul took the blame for the Clippers’ fourth-quarter collapse in Game 4, saying after the game that he should have played better and made sure that their offense got high-percentage looks.
Paul led them with 27 points and 12 assists in a losing effort, while reigning Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford provided a much-needed spark off the bench with 25 points, including five three-pointers.
LA is going to keep leaning on Paul for the rest of this series, but that strategy won’t always be enough to guarantee the W, especially against a defensive-minded group like Utah. The Jazz have held the Clippers below 100 points in three of the first four games of this series.
Another productive night from Crawford, or anyone else wearing a Clippers uniform, would be huge for Los Angeles, as it continues to persevere through the playoffs without one of its primary scorers in Blake Griffin.
