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INGLEWOOD — It wasn’t the start Clippers Coach Tyronn Lue had wanted to see. And he might have wanted to cover his eyes through the middle. It was, however, the finish he had hoped to be watching as Saturday’s game ended.
The Clippers, despite more than a few shaky moments, overcame a short-handed but resilient Utah Jazz team for a 130-110 victory at Intuit Dome, snapping a three-game losing streak.
But it took more than wishful thinking. Stopping their moderate losing streak took solid shooting by James Harden and Norman Powell in the second half and the inside play of center Ivica Zubac, to hold off the Jazz, who were without four of their five starters.
Harden scored 16 of his 23 points in the latter half, while Powell had 11 of his 26 points after halftime to propel the Clippers (29-23) past the Jazz (12-39).
Harden also had a season-high 17 assists.
Lue said before the game that the Clippers needed another big first quarter, like the last game when they scored 42 points in the first quarter but ended up losing to the Indiana Pacers. He wanted to use that start as something of a building block in the next game.
“I thought it was a step in the right direction,” he said.
The Clippers’ first few steps went sideways as the Jazz buried eight 3-pointers in the first 12 minutes and led by as many as 12 to start the game.
“They had confidence,” Harden said. “They played last night, they had confidence. And for us, it’s just sticking with it. Teams play well. We were on the other end of that where we started off great in the first quarter, up 20 some points and then didn’t win the game (against the Pacers). So, it’s the NBA, it’s a four-quarter game and you got to just stick with it.”
It took a complete team effort.
Zubac was again dominating inside with a season-high 26 points on 13-of-16 shooting and 15 rebounds as the Clippers outscored the Jazz in the paint, 78-42. Zubac also had five assists, and one blocked shot.
“I always knew I could produce, if given more minutes and more touches in a post, I always knew I could do it,” Zubac said. “So, once the opportunity came, I was always feeling I was ready.
“I feel like for a lot of guys in this league, it’s about the right situation, right opportunity, and a lot of guys can produce more than they’re doing. But once you’re stuck in one role, it’s just that’s what you got to do to stay on the court.”
Amir Coffey added 17 points off the bench, while Kawhi Leonard had a quiet night with 10 points and five rebounds in 31 minutes. He also had an uncharacteristic five turnovers.
Lue said Leonard’s uneven play is a result of him finding his way back after missing the first 34 games of the season.
“I think spacing a lot of things has to do with it, but with the most important thing, probably just timing,” Lue said. “The game was going fast and we played some fast teams and they’re coming to double team him.”
After watching Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson hit four 3-pointers in the barrage of long-range shots and a group of reserves continuing to score at will for a 30-29 first quarter lead, the Clippers snapped out of their malaise.
The Clippers managed to get moving in the right direction in the second quarter but not before failing to stop the Jazz, who regained a double-digit lead less than four minutes into the quarter. The Clippers, who have struggled offensively lately, manage to find a groove and get back into the game behind the play of Powell and Zubac.
Powell, who had three points in the first quarter, scored 16 by halftime, while Zubac had 12 points, enabling the Clippers to pull close, 54-53. They eventually took a 58-54 lead on a three-point play by Powell with 24 seconds left in the half.
Isaiah Collier closed out the half with a driving layup. He finished with five points and nine assists.
Clarkson led the Jazz with 24 points. Keyonte George added 21 points, Johnny Juzang had 19 and Kyle Filipowski had 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
The Utah Jazz, which is second-to-last in the Western Conference, came into the game without four starters.
With the Jazz set to visit the streaking Lakers on Monday, they sat John Collins (rest) Walker Kessler (shoulder) Lauri Markkanen (back) and Collin Sexton (ankle). Taylor Hendricks is out because of a fractured fibula, while KJ Martin and Josh Richardson were not with the team because of pending trades.
Back-up center Drew Eubanks, who was acquired last week in a trade with the Jazz, suffered a sprained left ankle in the second quarter and did not return. He had four points and three rebounds in six minutes.
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