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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Mike Conley made seven 3-pointers and scored a season-high 33 points to lead the Utah Jazz to a 106-100 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.
Los Angeles Clippers guard Paul George (13) drives as Utah Jazz’s Mike Conley (10) and Jordan Clarkson (00) defend during the first half of the teams’ Jan. 1, game in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Conley also dished out seven assists, and Donovan Mitchell added 15 points for the Jazz. Derrick Favors chipped in with 14 points and 11 rebounds off the bench as Utah earned its first home victory of the season.
Paul George had 25 points, eight rebounds and six steals to lead Los Angeles. Kawhi Leonard added 20 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists. The Clippers shot just 38.8% from the field.
Los Angeles trailed by as many as 20 in the second half before rallying in the fourth quarter. The Clippers cut Utah’s lead to 95-94 after George drained a 3-pointer with 3:15 left.
Rudy Gobert answered with a layup and then Conley sank his seventh 3 with 1:49 remaining to keep Los Angeles from overtaking the Jazz.
The Clippers became sluggish on offense as the first quarter progressed. Los Angeles shot just 25% from the field during that 12-minute stretch and scored only two baskets after taking a 13-11 lead on a 3-pointer from Nicolas Batum midway through the quarter.
That opened the door for the Jazz to surge ahead late in the quarter, and Utah had no trouble finding its shot. The Jazz shot 52% from the floor during the opening period.
Utah scored baskets on seven straight possessions and nine of 10 to fuel a 24-4 run over a 5½-minute stretch spanning the first and second quarters. Conley scored five of those baskets — including Utah’s final three field goals of the first quarter — and totaled 12 points in the first quarter alone.
Jordan Clarkson and Conley punctuated the run with back-to-back 3s, giving the Jazz a 37-19 lead a minute into the second quarter.
The Clippers nearly erased the deficit before halftime. Los Angeles scored on four straight possessions, bookended by baskets from Leonard, to trim the deficit to 43-42.
Utah weathered the surge and scored three straight baskets to end the half, capped by a dunk from Favors. The Jazz then opened the second half with three unanswered baskets and extended their lead to 67-47 on a corner 3 from Conley midway through the third quarter.
TIP-INS
Clippers: George shot 6 of 21 from the field. … Leonard totaled 10 rebounds in his first three games of the season. … Los Angeles finished with just eight turnovers.
Jazz: Joe Ingles set season highs in assists (seven) and rebounds (eight) to go with 11 points. … The NBA fined Clarkson $25,000 for shoving a referee during the second quarter of Utah’s 106-95 loss to Phoenix on Thursday. … The Jazz outscored the Clippers 46-30 in the paint.
UP NEXT
Clippers: At Phoenix on Sunday.
Jazz: At San Antonio on Sunday.
(© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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