It may be premature to label a game in early February as a “must win,” but the urgency, if not the execution, was there for the Clippers from the moment they stepped onto the Intuit Dome court Saturday night against the struggling Utah Jazz.
Facing an undermanned opponent with the second-worst record in the Western Conference coming off an overtime loss less than 24 hours earlier, the Clippers ended a three-game skid with a 130-110 victory that moved it to within a half game of sixth-place Minnesota. It also gave the Clippers some much-needed momentum for Wednesday’s matchup with Memphis before embarking on an eight-game trip, their longest of the season, starting Thursday in Utah.
The Clippers (29-23) could ill afford to lose a contest in which it was favored by 17½ points, especially after the rival Lakers, playing without LeBron James, beat Indiana earlier in the day to improve to 31-19 and move into fourth place in the West with their 11th win in 13 games.
Ivica Zubac had 26 points and 15 rebounds and James Harden finished with 23 points and 17 assists. Norman Powell, playing in his 600th regular-season game, scored 26 points, and Amir Coffey added 17 points.
Kawhi Leonard, who played 33 minutes against the Pacers — the most the two-time NBA Finals MVP has logged since returning to the lineup Jan. 4 — had 10 points in 31 minutes.
Jordan Clarkson scored the first 11 points for Utah (12-39), which suffered its third loss to the Clippers in three meetings this season, all in L.A. He finished with a team-high 24. The Jazz hit seven of their first nine three-pointers to build an early 12-point lead. Three straight baskets by Zubac pulled the Clippers within four and they went ahead for the first time 29-28 on Drew Eubanks’ alley-oop jam off a pass from Harden with 37 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Clippers trailed by as many as 13 points in the second quarter but closed the half with a flourish and took a 58-56 halftime lead. The lead grew to eight entering the fourth quarter, and Coffey iced the win by swishing a corner three-pointer to give the Clippers a 118-103 lead with 2:58 left.
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, left, drives past Utah guard Johnny Juzang during the first half Saturday.
(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
Veteran guard Bogdan Bogdanovic did not play as he is still returning to game condition after sitting out six games because of personal reasons before being dealt from Atlanta ahead of the trade deadline.
Eubanks, traded from the Jazz to L.A. last Saturday, sustained a left ankle sprain in the second quarter and did not return. He had four points and three rebounds in five minutes.
Utah played with a depleted roster. Cody Williams, who missed the last nine games with an ankle sprain, scored two points in 15 minutes.
