On a night the Utah Jazz lose their defensive anchor Rudy Gobert to a crippling knee injury, Joe Johnson steps up and comes through for them in the clutch. Iso Joe drained a running layup as time expired to give Utah a dramatic 97-95 victory in Game 1. Johnson, who scored 21 points off the bench, has now scored a league-best eight buzzer-beaters over the past decade.
It wasn’t just Johnson, though, who delivered in this series-opener for the Jazz who played all but 17 seconds without their star center. Derrick Favors stepped up big time in Gobert’s absence, tallying 15 points, six rebounds, two assists and one block in 32 minutes of action. With Gobert sidelined for the foreseeable future with a hyperextended left knee, the onus is on Favors to provide the much-needed ceiling for the Utah front court. He averaged 9.5 points and 6.1 rebounds during the regular season.
For the Jazz to build an improbable 2-0 series lead this coming Tuesday, they will need to continue their excellent play on the defensive end. Even without Gobert, the Jazz held the Clippers to just 95 points on a woeful 44.4 percent shooting from the field on Saturday. Apart from playing solid defense, it’s also vital for the Jazz that they sustain their hot perimeter shooting in Game 2. Utah shot 8-of-19 from deep in Game 1.
“We fought until the end of the year to get it, and now we’ve given it right back.” That was the damning assessment of head coach Doc Rivers after he saw his Clippers side quickly surrender homecourt advantage in Game 1 of their best-of-7 series against Utah. What made this defeat such a bitter pill to swallow for the Clippers was that it came against a Jazz team that was missing its best player for majority of the match.
For the Clippers to grab the equalizer in Game 2, they will need to do a much better job in controlling the glass. Even with Gobert sidelined, the Jazz still outrebounded the Clips, 42-40. DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin need to be aggressive inside the paint now that Utah’s defensive anchor is out injured. They combined for 36 points and 22 rebounds in Game 1. Another guy who needs to step up for LA in Game 2 is J.J. Redick. He managed just six shot attempts on Saturday as Utah’s wings put the clamps on him.
It’s also paramount for the Clippers that they find their range from downtown in Game 2. LA shot horribly from deep in Game 1, going just 8-of-24 from the 3-point area against Utah. That kind of perimeter showing simply won’t do against a Utah side that ranked first this season in scoring defense. Apart from improving their outside shooting, the Clippers will also need to take better care of the basketball in Game 2. They committed 15 turnovers on Saturday, resulting into 11 Utah points.
Writer’s Prediction
The Clippers (-8.5) even the series at one game apiece.
