Pistons land Blake Griffin from Clippers in blockbuster deal

(AP) -- The Detroit Pistons dramatically shook their struggling roster by acquiring one of the NBA's top players in Blake Griffin in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers.

The deal for the five-time All-Star forward was announced early Tuesday, giving Detroit a player who has been the face of the Clippers but whose career has been undercut by injuries.

Detroit sent forward Tobias Harris, guard Avery Bradley and center Boban Marjanovic to Los Angeles, with the Clippers also receiving draft picks. Detroit also acquired forward Brice Johnson and center Willie Reed.

"We are serious about winning, and this is a major move to improve our team," Pistons owner Tom Gores said in a statement. "Blake Griffin is one of the NBA's elite players, and when you get an opportunity to add that kind of talent, you take it."

The Pistons did not yet say if Griffin would be available for Tuesday night's home game against Cleveland.

The 28-year-old Griffin is averaging 22.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 33 games this season, but the Clippers have been plagued by injuries and are ninth in the Western Conference standings.

Detroit is scuffling as well. The Pistons have lost eight straight heading into Tuesday night's game against Cleveland.

"Needed a night to digest and reflect on what happened...." Griffin tweeted. "From being a (hashtag)1 pick, to Lob City, to six straight Playoff appearances, I am so proud to have been part of the success of the Clippers organization. LA has been my home since I started in the league and I will be forever grateful to the city for embracing me and supporting me. To the fans, you have been awesome every step of the way. Thank you for years of support.

"Now I'm ready for the next chapter, getting to work and helping the Detroit Pistons make a run in the Eastern Conference."

Last July, Griffin agreed to a $171 million, five-year deal, ending a brief flirtation with free agency. He told his teammates, coach Doc Rivers and owner Steve Ballmer, "I want my legacy to be a Clipper."

The deal didn't include a no-trade clause for the second-leading scorer in franchise history with 10,863 points.

Griffin gives Detroit's frontcourt another standout alongside Andre Drummond, but it also represents a clear change in course from the roster the Pistons had assembled. Detroit acquired Bradley in a trade with Boston last offseason, but he's in the final season of his contract. Harris has been impressive for the Pistons this season, shooting a career-best 41 percent from 3-point range.

"The move is not without risk. We gave up a lot to get him, including Tobias Harris - one of the hardest-working, highest-character players I know - and two high-quality young men in Avery Bradley and Boban Marjanovic," Gores said. "But we are very excited to bring Blake Griffin to Detroit. He is a great fit for our team and will bring a combination of toughness and athleticism that will elevate our team and excite our fans."

Detroit's season was looking promising until a late-December injury to point guard Reggie Jackson. The Pistons have stumbled while he's been out with a sprained right ankle, and the team is facing the prospect of missing the playoffs in its first season at its new downtown arena.

Detroit's next six games are at home, so the Pistons will have a chance to turn this season around - and an opportunity to build for a future with both Griffin and Drummond.

"His presence will help us offensively and his size gives us another rebounder and weapon in the paint," said Stan Van Gundy, Detroit's coach and team president. "Willie Reed and Brice Johnson are two young players that give us size and depth."

For the Clippers, moving Griffin continues a makeover of a franchise that has never made it past the second round of the playoffs.

The Clippers traded All-Star point guard Chris Paul to Houston last summer. He had been credited with bringing respectability to the team that was once the laughingstock of the league. Without Paul, Los Angeles won its first four games to open the season, and then lost nine of its next 11. The team is one game above .500 going into Tuesday night's game against Portland.

"Blake is one of the best players ever to wear a Clippers jersey. We want to express our gratitude and respect for everything he has done for this team and the city of Los Angeles," said Lawrence Frank, Clippers president of basketball operations. "This was a very difficult decision, but we ultimately felt it was appropriate for the franchise."

Paul's replacement, Patrick Beverley, has missed the entire season after right knee surgery. Also missing time have been DeAndre Jordan, Danilo Gallinari, Austin Rivers and Milos Teodosic.

Yet owner Steve Ballmer remains optimistic.

"While change is hard, my confidence in our front office, led by Lawrence Frank and Michael Winger, along with the sage counsel of Jerry West, has never been higher," he said in a statement. "I believe today, more than ever, in our ultimate goal of winning an NBA championship."

Los Angeles receives a protected first-round draft choice and a second-round pick from the Pistons.

The Clippers drafted Griffin first overall out of Oklahoma in 2009. However, he missed the 2009-10 season after surgery on his broken left kneecap. Griffin missed 21 games last season and 47 in 2015-16 because of injuries.

As a rookie, he was an All-Star, won the slam dunk contest and was named NBA Rookie of the Year.

He has averaged 21.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists in his career.

"Blake Griffin had a tremendous impact on this organization and his legacy within the community of Los Angeles will be permanent," Balmer said. "It was a pleasure getting to know and cheer for Blake. I wish him, as well as Brice and Willie, the best of luck."

Even before the Pistons announced the deal, there was plenty of reaction on social media Monday night. Harris had a message on his accounts thanking Detroit for its support. Griffin's Twitter account had its own message with no words - just an image of actor Will Smith with a surprised expression on his face.

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AP Sports Writer Beth Harris in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Clippers hold off Kings 121-115 after blowing 14-point lead

By MICHAEL WAGAMAN
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Blake Griffin says he's fully recovered from the concussion he suffered last weekend and marveled at how his Los Angeles Clippers have maneuvered their way around a series of injuries to key players this season.

Griffin is just as impressed with how much the club has gotten from unheralded teammates like Tyrone Wallace, who spent most of the season in the G League before joining the Clippers for his NBA debut this month.

Wallace intercepted a pass at midcourt and drove in for a dunk with 10.9 seconds left, moments after what appeared to be a costly turnover by Lou Williams, and the Clippers held off the Sacramento Kings 121-115 on Thursday night after blowing a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter.

"Guys made big plays when we needed them," Griffin said. "Guys that weren't even on an NBA roster at the beginning of the season are coming up and making big plays like they've been in the league for years. That's awesome to see."

The Clippers, who lost DeAndre Jordan to a sprained left ankle in the second quarter, won their third straight over the Kings this season and their 11th in a row at Sacramento.

"It's tough. You just keep dropping guys every game," Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers said. "Every game someone is stepping in for us, too, and that's the blessing."

Williams finished with 30 points and six assists, one night after scoring a career-high 50 against defending champion Golden State. Griffin had 18 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in his return to the lineup, and Montrezl Harrell scored a season-best 25 - including 16 in the second quarter when Los Angeles put up 43 points.

The Clippers led 106-92 early in the fourth before the Kings rallied to go ahead 113-112 on Bogdan Bogdanovich's layup with 2:10 remaining.

Griffin followed with a 3-pointer and Williams later scored on a short jumper, but the Kings pulled to 117-115 on George Hill's free throw with 24.9 seconds left.

Williams then committed a turnover at midcourt when he threw a pass to Sacramento's Kosta Koufos, but Wallace saved his teammate when he stole the ball back and drove in for a dunk. Wesley Johnson added two free throws to seal the win.

"Normally bigs don't want to push the ball up so I kind of just sat there and waited a little behind the guard," Wallace said. "I figured (Koufos) was going to look to pass it. He just turned and threw the ball without looking, so I knew I had an opportunity to get the steal. I had the whole court in front of me."

Bogdanovich scored 22 points, and Koufos had 14 points and 14 rebounds. Hill added 21 points but missed two free throws in the final 70 seconds.

"We've got to start games and play with a lot more effort, a lot more aggressiveness, a lot more motor," Kings coach Dave Joerger said.

Williams had 21 points in the first half, including nine in the final 1:33 of the second quarter after the Kings had trimmed a 14-point deficit to 60-58.

The Clippers also got a lift from Harrell, who made all seven of his shots in the period.

That was important after Jordan limped off the court with an ankle injury after scoring on a dunk with 5:15 left in the first half.

"That's par for the course for our team this year," Griffin said. "One guy comes back, one guy has to go out."

GRIFFIN'S HEALTH

Griffin shot 5 of 14 and was 2 for 7 from beyond the arc in his return from a concussion he suffered last Saturday. "Fine head-wise and all that," he said. "I just felt like I was a little off rhythm-wise."

TIP-INS

Clippers: Harrell's 16 points in the second quarter were two more than he had the entire game against Golden State.

Kings: Bogdanovich had four fouls in the first half. ... Frank Mason was diagnosed with a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his right foot. He is expected to miss four weeks. Mason was injured Dec. 31 against Memphis.

UP NEXT

Clippers: Play at Houston on Saturday.

Kings: Play at Oklahoma City on Saturday.

Lou Williams scores career-high 50, Clippers beat Warriors

By JANIE McCAULEY
Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Lou Williams sent the same roaring, adoring crowd that cheered Kevin Durant's milestone to the exits several minutes before the final buzzer.

Durant was brilliant, and Williams even better.

Williams scored 27 of his career-high 50 points in the third quarter and the undermanned Los Angeles Clippers beat the Golden State Warriors for the first time in more than three years with a 125-106 win Wednesday that spoiled a milestone night for Durant.

Williams shot 16 for 27 with a career-best eight 3-pointers and made all 10 of his free throws.

"He ordered 50-piece nuggets on us tonight," Durant quipped. "Lou got it going."

Durant became the 44th player in NBA history to score 20,000 career points, finishing with 40 as the Warriors had their five-game winning streak snapped along with a 12-game unbeaten stretch in the Clippers rivalry.

Durant reached the milestone on a pull-up jumper from the left wing at the 1:41 mark of the second quarter. The Warriors announced his accomplishment on the main scoreboard and Durant received a standing ovation, shaking his head in acknowledgment while still very much in game mode.

By late in the fourth quarter, that crowd was making its way for the exits with the game out of reach.

The NBA Finals MVP returned from a three-game absence due to a strained right calf and scored 25 points in the first half against the Clippers - KD's biggest half of the season and the exact number he needed for 20,000.

Durant, who had a four-point play during the second quarter on the way to 14 points in the period, is at 29 the second-youngest player behind LeBron James and first to reach the 20,000 mark as a member of the Warriors.

He shot 14 for 18, including 6 of 7 from deep, and Zaza Pachulia added 12 points on a night when the Warriors were without their starting backcourt. Stephen Curry re-sprained his right ankle during the morning shootaround, and Klay Thompson also was out for rest that had been previously scheduled.

"Our spirit wasn't right, our energy wasn't right. We weren't connected and they were," Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. "The Clippers came in here probably insulted we were resting Klay, and obviously Steph goes down and so the game changes."

Williams also dished out seven assists and rookie Tyrone Wallace added a season-best 22 points off the bench for the Clippers while returning to the Bay Area, where he starred in college at California.

"Obviously 50 is a huge number. It's a great accomplishment," Williams said. "For me, it was more important to get a win, try to close that gap to get back to .500, especially with the injuries, with guys in and out of the lineup, for us to still have that opportunity, to be in the playoff fold. So, I've been playing with confidence for the past month or so now."

Nick Young started in place of Thompson and had seven points but shot 3 for 11 and missed six of his seven 3-point tries. It was Young's first start with the Warriors. Shaun Livingston played in place of Curry and contributed eight points and four assists.

Draymond Green missed his first five shots before connecting late in the third.

"We still have two All-Stars. It's an embarrassment of riches," Kerr said of Durant and Green. "I'm not going to shy away from that."

There were 13 lead changes in the first quarter alone. Golden State went on a 10-0 run midway through the second during which Durant scored eight points.

CURRY'S ANKLE

Curry has the same injury that recently sidelined him for 11 games, though Kerr said: "I don't think it's serious. ... He tweaked it." No MRI or X-rays were scheduled for now, though Curry was sore and the Warriors won't take any chances.

"I didn't see anything," Kerr said before the game. "We just had a normal shootaround and he was in his usual game-day routine with Q (Bruce Fraser) and he just rolled his ankle somehow. Just kind of a fluke thing, kind of caught us off guard, but obviously he won't play. ... It's unfortunate. Hopefully it'll clear up in the next couple days."

The Warriors are 10-2 without Curry.

TIP-INS

Clippers: Los Angeles hadn't beaten the Warriors since Christmas Day 2014. The Clippers also had lost 11 straight on Golden State's home floor since a 105-86 win on Dec. 25, 2011.

Warriors: Durant had his seventh 30-point game this season. ... Thompson had played in all 41 games this season. ... C JaVale McGee played for only the second time in five games as Kerr struggles to use all his players in a deep, talented rotation. ... Young earned his 194th career start as Golden State used a 14th different starting lineup this season - matching the team's total from last season.

UP NEXT

Clippers: At Sacramento on Thursday, looking for a fourth straight win in the series.

Warriors: At Milwaukee on Friday to begin a five-game road trip featuring tough stops at Cleveland and Houston.

Williams pours in 31 as Clippers dump Magic

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Los Angeles Clippers have started winning the old fashioned way.

Reserve guard Lou Williams scored a game-high 31 points, leading a patchwork lineup that was filled with heart and hustle, sparking the Clippers to a 106-95 victory over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.

The Clippers (11-15), who lost starting guard Austin Rivers to a concussion in the first half, won their third consecutive game, despite playing without four of their top five leading scorers.

"We're just playing hard," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "We don't have the luxury of talent, where we can where we can out-talent the other teams. We're just going to go out and play harder than the other team."

Center DeAndre Jordan, who has stepped into a leadership role, dominated around the basket with 16 points, 20 rebounds and two blocked shots in 36 minutes.

Reserve Sam Dekker was the only other Clippers' player to reach double figures. He had 12 points and hit two of his four 3-point attempts. Five other Clippers scored between six and nine points.

"When you are loaded with talent, you can just rely on that talent to win, but we don't have that anymore," Williams said. "When you're talent goes down, everyone else has to step it up and win that way. That's what we're doing now. You outhustle your opponent."

Williams, who scored 35 points Saturday against the Wizards, made 11 of 22 shots Wednesday and added eight assists.

Jonathon Simmons led the Magic (11-18) with 20 points and eight assists. Center Nikola Vucevic had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Elfrid Payton scored 13 points. Mario Hezonja, in his second start of the season, managed 17 points and nine rebounds.

"We struggled," Magic coach Frank Vogel said. "We have enough to score, but we need everyone to play at their best. Some guys had good nights, but some guys struggled. You can't do that and expect to get a W."

Rivers was especially pleased with Jordan, who managed at least 17 rebounds in five of his last six games.

"We need him to be great right now, and that's what he's been," Rivers said. "Not just with his defense but with everything. He is doing the things to help you win games."

The Clippers, already playing without Blake Griffin, Patrick Beverley and Danilo Gallinari, lost Rivers just before halftime. Rivers, who scored nine points, left and never returned after being hit in the face with an elbow from Simmons.

Rivers, who was trying to stop Simmons from finishing a layup, was called for a foul. He stayed on the ground for two minutes after the play while teammates gathered around. He was helped to the locker room, where doctors determined his concussion symptoms. He will miss at least one or two games under the NBA's concussion protocol.

The Clippers reserves outscored their Magic counterparts, 62-25. The Clippers outrebounded the Magic 51-45.

After a poor first quarter, the Clippers went on a 14-0 run in the second and never relinquished the lead. The Magic never seriously challenged in the second half.

The Clippers led 74-68 going into the fourth period. They led by as many as 11 points in the third after a 3-pointer by C.J. Williams.

Los Angeles was ahead 45-40 at intermission, riding a 24-7 run that closed the second period. They scored 14 consecutive points during that surge.

Williams had 14 points in the first half, but made only 4 of 10 shots. Hezonja led the Magic with 12 first-half points. Orlando led by as many as 12 points in the first quarter, but struggled through the second, third and fourth periods.

NOTES: The Magic activated four players Wednesday from their G League team, a reflection of their injury woes. Leading scorer F Aaron Gordon remained in the NBA's concussion protocol. Orlando also was without its second leading scorer G/F Evan Fournier (sprained right ankle). ... The Clippers beat the Magic for the eighth consecutive time. ... Los Angeles G Lou Williams is averaging 18.6 points as a reserve this season, tops in the NBA. ... After the game, the Clippers left for Washington, where they play the second contest of a four-game road trip Friday night. The Magic, who lost for the 14th time in the past 16 games, are home Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Clippers forward Blake Griffin out indefinitely with MCL sprain

Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin has a sprained MCL in his left knee that will sideline him indefinitely.

Griffin injured his knee after falling awkwardly during a loose ball scrum late in Monday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. His recovery is expected to take up to two months.

Griffin's teammate, Austin Rivers, fell on top of Griffin's leg, causing it to bend awkwardly. Griffin immediately collapsed to the floor and held the injured leg, which forced him to exit the game with just under four minutes remaining.

The five-time All-Star was averaging 23.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per contest entering Monday night's contest, which the Clippers won 120-115. The team is already struggling with injuries to Danilo Gallinari (glute) and Patrick Beverley (knee).

Knicks hand Clippers ninth straight loss, win 107-85

By BRIAN MAHONEY
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Things are going so poorly for the Clippers that they can’t even beat the Knicks anymore.

Kristaps Porzingis scored 25 points and New York extended Los Angeles’ losing streak to nine games with a 107-85 victory Monday night.

Porzingis outplayed a frustrated Blake Griffin and helped the Knicks snap a 10-game skid in the series with their first victory over the Clippers in more than five years.

“Bottom line, we just can’t sustain anything,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “Right now we get it going a little bit and one thing happens and it just implodes.”

Doug McDermott added 16 points for the Knicks, including a 3-pointer that swung the momentum for good midway through the third quarter.

“I got in there, had to bring some energy because we got off to a little slow start to start the third quarter,” McDermott said.

Griffin scored 21 points but shot just 6 for 18, picked up a technical foul and fouled out with 4:46 remaining. The Clippers (5-11) still haven’t won since Nov. 1 at Dallas, when they improved to 5-2.

“Tonight was not a good showing,” Griffin said. “We have to put together 48 minutes rather than playing in spurts. We know as a team that this is not going to be the end.”

Patrick Beverley returned after missing five games with a sore right knee and had nine points and six rebounds. But the Clippers are still without fellow guard Milos Teodosic and the rest of their backcourt play was mostly dismal.

The Clippers fell behind by 17 early in the third quarter before running off 15 straight to cut it to 66-64 midway through the period. But McDermott hit a 3-pointer in transition and added another during a 12-0 response by the Knicks that gave them a 78-64 advantage with 4:11 remaining in the period.

“I thought that was disheartening,” Rivers said. “I thought that took the spirit away but it shouldn’t and that’s where we’re at right now. When you lose nine games in a row, you’re in a losing streak, you start feeling sorry for yourself when things don’t go right and you can’t do that.”

New York then led by 26 in the fourth quarter.

The game was tied at 20 after one quarter, but the Knicks opened a double-digit lead late in the half after a 9-2 spurt and were ahead 56-44 at the break.

“In the first half we weren’t moving the ball. One pass or no passes and the guys were shooting it,” Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said. “Once we got into passing the ball and moving it from side to side, then we ended up with 20 assists in the final 32 minutes and that’s pretty good.”

The Clippers traded Chris Paul in the offseason and the search for reliable guard play remains. Austin Rivers was 1 for 9 for two points, Lou Williams came off the bench to shoot 2 for 8, and rookie Jawun Evans shot 2 for 8.

TIP-INS

Clippers: Los Angeles had won five straight at Madison Square Garden. ... Clippers assistant Mike Woodson was the Knicks’ coach last time they beat Los Angeles, on April 25, 2012.

Knicks: Tim Hardaway Jr. played with a sore left foot and scored 13 points. He had been listed as questionable but Hornacek said Hardaway felt better after rest. ... Enes Kanter had 12 points and 16 rebounds.

STREAK SNAPPED

The Clippers’ 10-game winning streak over the Knicks was their longest active streak against any opponent. Now it’s seven in a row against Portland and Orlando.

STARKS WITH THE “STEAL”

Doc Rivers was talking to reporters before the game when former Knicks teammate John Starks walked by.

“Can you bring my wedge back?” Rivers yelled out. “Guy stole my wedge and didn’t give it back.”

Rivers said he had been without his golf club, which Starks contended that Rivers had left in his bag, for about two months.

“You know, when someone allegedly leaves a club in your bag, the right thing to do is mail it back to them,” Rivers said. “That’s all I’m saying. At some point, it’s stolen.”

UP NEXT

Clippers: Visit Atlanta on Wednesday.

Knicks: Host Toronto on Wednesday.

Warriors blow past Clippers, 141-113, by Curry’s 31 points

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors had looked a tad vulnerable to start the new season.

They had a 4-3 record and blew a 14-point second half lead at home to the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.

One day later, the team played more like the defending champions, using a stifling defense to blow out the Los Angeles Clippers 141-113. It was Golden State’s 11th consecutive win over Los Angeles.

“That looked like us,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

The Warriors got a terrific all-around game from Curry, who scored 31 points, hit seven of his 11 3-point attempts and added six assists and five rebounds.

The Clippers (4-2) were the last team in the NBA to lose a game, but dropped their second straight despite 19 points from Danilo Gallinari and 17 from Lou Williams.

The last time the Clippers defeated the Warriors was Christmas Day in 2014.

“I don’t think they get enough credit defensively. It’s amazing,” said Clippers coach Doc Rivers. “Whenever we talk about Golden State, we only talk about their offense. And I think their defense is what sets them apart.”

Though the Clippers try to run their offense through Blake Griffin, the power forward was quickly doubled whenever he touched the ball down low and struggled to get his shot off.

He finished with 16 points on four of 10 shooting.

“They came pretty early,” Griffin said. “Some teams wait for the first dribble, some teams wait until you have a foot outside the lane. They doubled pretty early and pretty consistently throughout the game.”

The Warriors had 37 assists on the night to 12 turnovers. They outrebounded Los Angeles 46-35 and outshot them, if only 89-86.

“Our whole thing is, if we get more field goal attempts than our opponent, there’s a chance we’re going to win,” Kerr said. “But we haven’t been doing that. We came in averaging nine fewer attempts.”

In addition to Curry, the Warriors got 19 points and seven rebounds from Kevin Durant, 16 points and nine rebounds from Draymond Green and 15 points and six assists from Klay Thompson.

“Our defensive effort really got us to where we wanted to be,” Curry said. “The coach gave us a challenge before the game to just try and win the possession and field-goal game. Throughout the course of the game, that was the key. We played Warriors basketball and now we have to sustain it.”

TIP-INS

Warriors: Kerr said he supported Green after his forward was fined $25,000 for his part in a skirmish with Bullets guard Bradley Beal on Friday: “He got attacked. I didn’t agree with his punishment but all you can do as a team is accept it.”

Clippers: Had entered game holding opponents to a league-low 92.4 points per game and a 40.4 field goal percentage shooting (second). Rivers said the superb early defense starts with having DeAndre Jordan at center, but new starting guards Patrick Beverley and Austin Rivers have been tough on the perimeter: “Defensively, that combination has been really good.”

WARRIORS DEFENSE

On Monday, however, it was the Golden State defense that dominated. While the Warriors were shooting 58.4 percent from the field, they were holding the Clippers to 45.3 percent.

“Defensively, they had a field day,” Rivers said.

“They got to every loose ball in the first half. They got to every offensive rebound, and every time they got one, they made a three. They’re so unselfish.”

UP NEXT

Warriors: Stay on the road Thursday when the travel to San Antonio to meet the Spurs.

Clippers: Scheduled to host the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.

Griffin, Beverley lead Clippers past Jazz, 102-84

By STEVE DILBECK
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The last time Utah ventured to Los Angeles, the Jazz stunned the Clippers in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series.

A rematch was hardly foremost on either team’s minds when they met back at Staples Center, since both have nine new players this season.

This time the Clippers came out on top, remaining unbeaten with a 102-84 victory on Tuesday.

“They beat us in the playoffs. For the guys that were here tonight, that was something that was in the back of our minds,” said Clippers center DeAndre Jordan. “For the guys that weren’t here, we wanted to come out and see the tone against a really good defensive team that makes you guard them the whole shot clock.”

All five starters scored in double figures for the Clippers, led by Blake Griffin’s 22 points. Patrick Beverley added 19 points, but turned the ball over seven times.

The Jazz (2-2) got 19 points from rookie guard Donovan Mitchell, but no one else scored more than 12.

The Clippers went on a 19-2 run to seemingly take command, pushing their lead to as many as 21 points.

But sparked by Mitchell and reserves, Utah cut the lead to 82-80 with 4:28 to play.

“We dug ourselves a hole, but I thought we did a good job of fighting back in the game,” said Utah coach Quin Snyder.

The Clippers answered the Utah challenge, picking off three steals down the stretch and getting key baskets from throughout their lineup.

“I loved how we executed for a team that really hasn’t been in a fourth-quarter tight game,” said Clippers coach Doc Rivers. “That was probably the most impressive thing that we did. The ball swung, moved, moved and we got shots.

“Because we don’t know us yet. And for us to do that is nice.”

Austin Rivers added 16 points and Danilo Gallinari 14, while Jordan had 11 points and 18 rebounds.

TIP-INS

Jazz: With so many teams now wanting to run and play at a fast pace, Utah is something of an anomaly in its generally more deliberate style. Said Snyder: “You have to be who you are. In the end it’s all about what style you play that fits your team.”

Clippers: Rivers said G Milos Teodosic did not actually tear his plantar fascia on Sunday. “But whatever he did, he did it well. That’s why we’re calling it indefinite,” Rivers said. Austin Rivers started Tuesday in place of Teodosic. Doc Rivers said rookies Sindarius Thornwell or Jawun Evans will pick up the bulk of the extra guard time. Said Rivers: “I think Sindarius has a chance to be an elite defender in our league.”

TEAM PLAY

For a team that lost three starters from last season — and three of its top five scorers — the Clippers are finding ways to share the scoring load early this season.

Griffin is again leading the team in scoring, but he’s getting plenty of help.

“It’s versatility,” he said. “I think that’s our calling card this year. We’re going to do a lot of things by committee. Defensively we can get stops and offensively we have a lot of guys who can make plays and finish.”

OFF SHOOTING

The Jazz entered Tuesday shooting 49.4 in their first three games, but the Clippers held them to 43 percent shooting Tuesday. Center Rudy Gobert was shooting 66.7 percent but was only able to get off five shots Tuesday (he made them all).

“We got some good open looks, shots that we make every day,” he said. “I think we should keep doing what we do. Keep taking those shots, keep making the right play, and that’s what we did and came back.”

UP NEXT

Jazz: Head to Phoenix on Wednesday to play the Suns.

Clippers: Travel to Portland on Thursday to meet the Trail Blazers.

Recap: White, Robinson power Heat past Clippers

Juan Carlos Blanco, RotoWire

A trio of 20-point performances helped the 12th-seeded Miami Heat rally to upset the No. 5 seed Los Angeles Clippers 91-84 in the Las Vegas Summer League playoffs Thursday at Thomas and Mack Center.

Second-year big-man Okaro White totaled 23 points and eight rebounds, undrafted point guard Justin Robinson finished with 22 points, six assists and four steals and Gian Clavell scored 20 points as Miami (4-1) overcame a 10-point first-quarter deficit to outscore the Clippers in each of the next three quarters.

The Clippers (3-1) outshot the Heat, 44 to 41.7 percent, and led on the boards, 44-36, but were outscored in the second half, 51-41.

Brice Johnson, a 2016 first-round pick, led the Clippers with 13 points and six rebounds. Jamil Wilson scored 11 points and Kendall Marshall added 10 points, four assists and four rebounds.

Miami advances to play the Memphis Grizzlies in the quarterfinals.

Clippers on verge of adding Serbian PG Teodosic

The Los Angeles Clippers have reached agreement with Serbian guard Milos Teodosic on to a two-year, $12.3 million deal, ESPN.com reported Thursday.

The flamboyant 30-year-old Teodosic is considered a creative playmaker.

He had to pay an expensive contract buyout with CSKA Russia to move to the NBA this season. It suggests the Clippers have big plans for the 6-foot-5 Teodosic, who will try to fill the void left by the departure of Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets.

Teodosic was named to the all-EuroLeague first-team three times and was the EuroLeague MVP in 2010.

Teodosic averaged 16.3 points and 6.5 assists while shooting 54.2 percent from the field and 38.6 percent on 3-pointers while playing for Moscow last season.

Teodosic gained exposure when he faced Team USA at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the finals of the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

"As good a player, as good a guard, as there is in Europe," Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski said of Teodosic, according to ESPN.

Jazz flatten Clippers 104-91, win 1st-round series 4-3

By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) The young Utah Jazz have grown up quickly.

Gordon Hayward scored 26 points and the Jazz eliminated the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday with a 104-91 victory, closing out the first-round series 4-3 to earn the franchise's first postseason victory since 2010.

"We've been through some pretty hard downs," said Hayward, a seventh-year veteran. "It definitely feels really good to go from 25 wins to where we were this year making the playoffs, winning a series."

George Hill and Derrick Favors added 17 points apiece for the Jazz in what proved to be the easiest game of the back-and-forth series.

The Jazz advanced to face top-seeded Golden State in the Western Conference semifinals. The Warriors swept Portland 4-0 and have been waiting since Wednesday to find out their next opponent.

Game 1 is Tuesday in Oakland.

The Clippers' DeAndre Jordan had 24 points and 17 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the series. Jamal Crawford added 20 points off the bench.

Chris Paul had 13 points for the Clippers, who were sent packing in the first round for the second straight year. Last season, they lost to Portland after Paul and Blake Griffin went down with injuries. This time, they didn't have Griffin again after he was lost in Game 3 with a big-toe injury.

"It came down to today to keep us afloat, keep us alive," Paul said. "We're done."

In the most closely contested series of the first round - and the only to go seven games - the Clippers came up strangely flat with their season on the line. J.J. Redick didn't hit his first 3-pointer until the game's final 3 1/2 minutes, drawing the Clippers within eight.

"Late, when we did start scoring, we couldn't get stops," Paul said.

He couldn't muster any of his fourth-quarter magic, either. Paul went scoreless with three assists in the period after tweaking an ankle in the third.

"We made it difficult for Chris Paul to get in the lane, get his little pullup jump shot," Hayward said. "Guys on the weak side were rotated, making them make the extra pass and make some other guys try to create for them."

In the fourth, the Jazz were well in command, ahead by 17 points and hardly feeling pressured by foul trouble for Rudy Gobert and Favors, who both fouled out. Gobert finished with one point in 14 minutes. Favors had 11 rebounds off the bench.

"I was struggling a lot this season with injuries and my teammates had to hold it down for me," Favors said. "I felt like I owed them, especially in this game."

The first six games between the fourth-seeded Clippers and No. 5 Utah were decided by eight points or less with Los Angeles outscoring Utah 98.8 points to 98.0 points. The teams had identical 51-31 records in the regular season.

But this one was all Utah in the second half.

The Jazz opened the third on a 23-9 run, extending their lead to 69-48 - largest in the series. Boris Diaw had eight points, Hayward added six and Hill four as the Jazz had three three-point plays.

The Clippers got bogged down with a shot-clock turnover, a delay of game warning and Redick's airball on a 3-point attempt while the home crowd went silent.

This time, the Jazz didn't need the big-shot heroics of Joe Johnson or the presence of Gobert.

The Clippers, whose only lead was one point minutes into the game, shot 44 percent, and were outscored 56-46 in the paint and 12-9 on fast-break points.

"There's no excuses," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "We lost."

TIP-INS

Jazz: They improved to 3-2 all-time in Game 7s. ... Hayward made 43 of 45 free throws in the series.

Clippers: They fell to 3-4 all-time in Game 7s. ... They dropped to 3-1 with Paul in first-round Game 7s, having beaten Memphis in 2012, Golden State in 2014 and San Antonio in 2015. ... Beyonce and Jay Z sat courtside behind sunglasses.

WINNING ON THE ROAD

The Jazz won three road games in the series, gaining valuable experience away from the confines of their loud, boisterous home arena.

"It's unusual," coach Quin Snyder said. "If we were going to be able to advance, in some ways it was fitting that it would be kind of through a difficult set of circumstances."

FAREWELL TO THE TRUTH

Paul Pierce's 19-year NBA career came to an end at the final buzzer. The 39-year-old forward had six points and three rebounds in 21 minutes for the Clippers. He averaged 11.1 minutes in the series.

MAKING UP FOR BLAKE

Crawford, Luc Mbah a Moute and Austin Rivers combined to score 31 points while making up for the loss of Griffin. They totaled 38 points in winning Game 6 on the road.

Rivers started his second straight after missing the series' first four games while being out with a strained left hamstring.

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For more AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

Clippers, Jazz prepare for Game 7 in L.A.

Stats, LLC

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul was adamant the sun would not set on Paul Pierce's NBA run in Salt Lake City on Friday night.

"I looked over at 'Truth' during one of (those) timeouts and I said 'You're not ending your career in Utah,' " said Paul, referring to Pierce's popular nickname. "We told him that. We just said we want to keep this thing going for him. Paul was big tonight. Like the 3 he hit over there on the wing, and stuff like that. Just his energy and his voice in those different timeouts I think was huge for us."

With a crucial 98-93 victory over the Utah Jazz in Game 6, the Clippers will attempt to extend the career of the 39-year-old Pierce, who is retiring at season's end, and capture the series Sunday in Game 7 at Staples Center.

The winner advances to the second round to meet the Golden State Warriors in a best-of-seven affair beginning Tuesday at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.

Paul, whose two late free throws sealed the win against the Jazz, led the charge by scoring 29 points, dishing eight assists and allowing the Clippers to avoid elimination in the opening round for the second straight season. The Portland Trail Blazers bounced them last season in six games, aided by injuries to Paul and Blake Griffin.

And as Paul loathes to hear, the point guard has never guided a team past the second round.

"This is what we talked about before (Game 6)," said Paul, who has become the Clippers' main force offensively with Griffin out of the playoffs again, this time with an injury to his big toe. "Doc (Rivers) said to go out there and give yourself a chance. We knew we couldn't win both games (Friday), and we wanted to give ourselves a chance."

Utah will have another opportunity to end Pierce's career on Sunday despite missing a chance on its home court. After the Jazz won Game 5 on Tuesday at Staples, All-Star forward Gordon Hayward made it clear he didn't want to return for a Game 7.

Hayward, though, is humming a different tune now.

"We've come a long way from where we were three years ago," Hayward told the Salt Lake Tribune. "If you had told me at the beginning of the year you'd be in a Game 7 against the Clippers in L.A., I'd have been like, 'Bring it on.' "

The Jazz will be forced to bring their best with center Rudy Gobert hobbling again. Gobert, who sustained a hyperextended left knee in Game 1 that kept him out of the lineup for two games, sprained his ankle in the second half of Game 6 and was forced to the bench because of it during critical stretches.

Gobert said the ankle wouldn't hinder him Sunday.

"I sprained it on somebody's foot," said Gobert, who finished with 15 points, nine boards and three blocks, according to the Tribune. "I tried to run through it, but that didn't work out. I've had a lot of sprained ankles before. I will be good."

Paul scores 29, Clippers beat Jazz 98-93 to force Game 7

By KAREEM COPELAND
AP Sports Writer

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Clippers coach Doc Rivers put it simply when he said Chris Paul willed his team to victory with the season on the line.

Paul scored 29 points and the Los Angeles Clippers forced a Game 7 in their first-round series with a 98-93 victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday night.

The Clippers will host the only do-or-die game of the first round Sunday, with the winner advancing to face the Golden State Warriors.

"It's just Chris," Rivers said. "He is as competitive as a human being as I've ever been around. When you put that with the talent and the will, that's why he has performances like this in big games.

"Chris was amazing. He just willed the game for us."

Los Angeles began to edge away in the third quarter and appeared to be in control when Austin Rivers capped a 9-2 run with a step-back 3-pointer that pushed the lead to 91-77 with 3:58 remaining.

He hit another with 1:29 left to make it 96-86, but Gordon Hayward scored seven straight to bring the Jazz within three before Joe Johnson missed a 3-pointer in the waning seconds.

Paul pushed Los Angeles throughout the night and just wouldn't let the Clippers lose. The nine-time All-Star dominated and finished with eight assists, three rebounds and two steals. DeAndre Jordan added 13 points and 18 rebounds.

"We do it together," Paul said. "I came to (Jordan) during one of those timeouts in the fourth and said let's find a way. We've been in these situations time and time again. Some of us since we were kids playing AAU. You've just been in that situation. High school basketball. College basketball. It's the same game, it's just a lot more people at the games. You just go out there and try to stay in the moment."

The Clippers overcame a slow start to finish at 49 percent shooting from the field. The Jazz went in the opposite direction, getting sloppy with the ball in the third quarter and making numerous defensive mistakes. They also shot just 41.0 percent from the field and were 7 for 26 from behind the arc.

Hayward led the Jazz with 31 points, George Hill added 22 and Rudy Gobert finished with 15 points and nine rebounds.

"I thought we were competing," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "I'm not sure if we got tired or got tired of missing. They were the more energetic team. Their physicality on the defensive end, we didn't respond offensively the way that we needed to, or as forceful as we needed to be.

"When you're not aggressive enough with your frame of mind, I don't think you shoot the ball as well."

The Clippers took a 47-45 lead into halftime after closing on an 8-2 run, including a pair of jumpers by Luc Mbah a Moute.

The Jazz jumped out to a 22-13 lead and looked to be on the brink blowing the game wide open before the offense went cold and the Clippers ripped off an 11-0 run. Utah shot just 3 for 13 from 3-point range in the first half and missed several wide-open attempts.

"Some days are diamonds, some days are stones," Hayward said. "We didn't shoot the ball well tonight. We got the looks we wanted, which is a positive thing for us. I think that's the important part, we found the open shots, found the good looks.

"Dug ourselves a hole there and it's hard to dig out of it. I don't think we were nervous, we just couldn't find it tonight."

TIP-INS

Clippers: Austin Rivers started for the first time this series after missing the first four games with a hamstring injury. ... Jordan's six double-doubles in the first six games are a playoff high. ... The Clippers held Johnson to 3-for-9 shooting.

Jazz: Utah is 5-1 all-time when leading a playoff series 3-2. ... The Jazz opened the game as the only team in the playoffs ranking in the top three in field goal percentage and 3-point percentage.

GOBERT OK

Gobert was taken out of the game in the fourth quarter after suffering a mild left ankle sprain. X-rays were negative and he's expected to be fine for Game 7.

PAINT POINTS

The team with the points-in-the-paint advantage won the first five games. That streak came to an end as the Jazz outscored the Clippers 42-36 in the paint.

Hayward scores 27, Jazz beat Clippers 96-92 to take 3-2 lead

By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Still weak and lacking his usual energy after a bout with food poisoning, Gordon Hayward leaned on his teammates. They came up big.

Hayward scored 27 points, Utah controlled the paint and the Jazz beat the Los Angeles Clippers 96-92 on Tuesday night to take a 3-2 lead in their first-round playoff series.

"It was good I got some open looks early," said Hayward, who missed most of Utah's win in Game 4. "I was definitely tired out there. There was points in time where I didn't have legs. I'm pretty tired and thankful we have a couple days off."

The Jazz made five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, including three by Rodney Hood, who finished with 16 points.

Joe Johnson hit two huge shots in the fourth, continuing his timely shooting against the Clippers.

"We are kind of growing up in the moment," said Johnson, one of three veterans brought in to balance Utah's inexperience. "These guys have never been in this situation. We have to go home with a business mindset and not be overconfident but confident enough. This has to be our Game 7 in Game 6."

Chris Paul's 3-pointer drew the Clippers within two with five seconds left. After George Hill hit two free throws, Paul struggled getting the ball under control near the sideline and couldn't do anything as time expired. He slammed the ball in frustration.

"They made the winning plays down the stretch, and therefore we lose," Paul said.

Paul led the Clippers with 28 points and J.J. Redick added 26 with injured star Blake Griffin watching from the bench, his right foot encased in a black walking boot.

"Chris got tired early," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "Without Blake in the first seven minutes, Chris is the only ballhandler on the floor, and that's too hard. That hurt our offense, so we have to make an adjustment there."

The Jazz can clinch the series with a victory in Game 6 on Friday night in Salt Lake City.

"We still haven't done anything yet," Utah coach Quin Snyder said. "We're competing though, and I like that."

The Clippers rallied from an 11-point deficit early in the fourth to tie the game. They made 12 of 15 free throws in the final period, but never managed to take the lead.

Paul and Hayward were called for double technical fouls with 40 seconds to go. Paul had already pushed Hayward in the back after they got tied up scrambling for a rebound that Hayward secured in front of Utah's bench. Hayward made both shots for a 90-85 lead.

"That was huge," Johnson said.

Neither team shot well, but the Jazz were better at most everything else. They owned a 34-28 edge in the paint, and the team that has done so has won each of the first five games in the best-of-seven series.

Utah outscored the Clippers on second-chance and fast-break baskets.

The Clippers clawed back with an 11-0 run in the fourth featuring five straight free throws by Redick and two consecutive 3-pointers from Paul that tied the game at 69-all.

The Jazz regrouped to take a 77-69 lead. They ran off eight straight, capped by Haywood's 3-pointer after the Clippers' defense shut down Hill inside and forced him to pass out to the perimeter with the shot clock winding down.

TIP-INS

Jazz: Neither team has won by more than eight points so far in the series.

Clippers: Paul finished with nine assists, the first time in five games he hasn't had at least 10. ... Griffin's injured big right toe needs further evaluation before it's decided whether he'll require surgery. ... G Austin Rivers played 17 minutes in his return from a strained left hamstring. He was 0 of 4 and had two points. ... They fell to 1-11 all-time in Game 5 of a playoff series that was tied 2-2.

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For more AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

Johnson scores 28, Jazz beat Clippers 105-98 to even series

By KAREEM COPELAND
AP Sports Writer

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Joe Johnson saved the Utah Jazz - again.

"Iso Joe" has become a major problem for the Los Angeles Clippers.

Johnson scored 28 points, and the Jazz beat the Clippers 105-98 on Sunday night to tie their first-round playoff series at 2-all. It was Utah's first home playoff win since 2010.

"He's so sure with the ball," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "It's not often you find a guy that has that combination of skill, as far as his ability to handle the ball and make plays. And the strength to get to spots on the floor.

"The thing that really takes us to a unique place is he's such a willing passer. He basically either scored or assisted on every basket (down the stretch). ... We knew this is who he is and he knows it's playoff time."

Johnson, who hit the winning shot in Game 1, scored 11 straight Jazz points during a crucial stretch in the fourth quarter, including a pull-up jumper for a 91-90 lead with 3:55 remaining after Utah trailed by seven with 7:37 left. The Clippers never led again after controlling the game for most of the night.

"Just trying to be aggressive and make plays," Johnson said. "We had to get stops, which kind of fueled our offense. ... We were getting into the teeth of the defense, whether we had layups, dunks or kick-outs for 3s, thought we did a good job of making the right decision."

Rodney Hood and Joe Ingles, who had a career-high 11 assists, also hit huge baskets for Utah down the stretch. The Jazz needed all the help they could get after Gordon Hayward left with food poisoning.

The series returns to Los Angeles for Game 5 on Tuesday night.

Chris Paul had 27 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds for Los Angeles, which played without Blake Griffin after he suffered a toe injury in Game 3. Griffin has been ruled out for the rest of the postseason, increasing the pressure on the rest of the Clippers.

"We let that one slip away," Paul said. "It was 87-80, and that's on me. Being the point guard, I have to manage the game better and make sure we get good shots.

"We came here to get back home court. Had an opportunity to get two, but it is what it is."

Jamal Crawford scored 25 points, and DeAndre Jordan had 12 points and 10 rebounds. But Los Angeles shot 44 percent from the field, compared to 54.1 percent for Utah.

The Jazz got Rudy Gobert back from a knee injury, and the center finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds. But Hayward departed in the first half.

"We really couldn't score down the stretch," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "Joe Johnson and Joe Ingles, those two in particular were phenomenal tonight. (Johnson) made tough shots on our best defender. We should have given him more help.

"He's a tough shot-maker."

TIP-INS

Clippers: Austin Rivers sat out again with a strained left hamstring. He has not played in the series. ... Marreese Speights started in place of Griffin.

Jazz: Dante Exum, the No. 5 overall pick of the 2014 draft, made his first appearance of the playoffs. ... Hood scored 18 points. Derrick Favors had 17 after being held to two in Game 3.

UNDER THE WEATHER

Hayward played just nine minutes. He spent much of the second quarter in the locker room and was ruled out at halftime. Snyder said Hayward was on his back before the game and received IV fluids. He scored just three points and looked physically sapped. The first-time All-Star was coming off a career-high 40-point effort in Game 3.

BACK IN THE MIDDLE

Gobert returned to the starting lineup after missing the last two games with a left knee hyperextension and bone contusion suffered 17 seconds into Game 1. There was concern he was done for the season when he went down. The crowd roared with his announcement in the starting lineup and he moved well throughout, throwing down dunks and affecting shots on defense.

GRIFFIN GONE

The Clippers are without Griffin for the rest of the playoffs after suffering a plantar plate injury to his right big toe in Game 3. Utah guard George Hill understands after missing 16 games with a big toe injury this season.

"You've got to think, your big toes are the main part of your body to help with balance and explosion and things like that," Hill said. "Just like if you didn't have thumbs, it'd be hard to do a lot of things in your daily life. Just think about your thumbs and big toes are your main points of your body. I'm sure it's something that's excruciating pain for him because I've been in that situation."

Paul scores 34, Clippers beat Jazz 111-106 to take 2-1 lead

By KAREEM COPELAND
AP Sports Writer

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers sounded in awe of his point guard after watching Chris Paul beat the Utah Jazz with a fantastic fourth-quarter performance.

Paul scored a season-high 34 points and the Los Angeles Clippers rallied for a 111-106 victory Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in the first-round playoff series.

"He has an amazing will," Rivers said. "He's just a tough guy. He's stubborn in a very, very positive way. All the great ones have that in them. They're stubborn like they aren't going to lose.

"And that's how he felt. And you could feel that. His energy and that kind of rubbed off on everybody on the team."

The Jazz led most of the game before Paul took over in the fourth quarter and powered a 15-0 run that gave the Clippers a 103-96 lead with 2:09 remaining. Utah never led again.

The Clippers overcame a spectacular night from Gordon Hayward, who scored a career-high 40 points. But Paul simply dominated the fourth quarter, scoring nine straight himself during the run and getting wherever he wanted on the floor. He iced the game with a pair of free throws with 5.3 seconds remaining and finished with seven rebounds and 10 assists.

"I'm just always looking at the scoreboard trying to manage the game," Paul said. "I was just trying to pick my spots. That's a good team over there. They stick to their principles.

"Me and (DeAndre Jordan) on the ball-screens just tried to keep getting creative and tried to figure out ways to make plays."

Jordan had 17 points and 13 rebounds for the Clippers, who played without the injured Blake Griffin in the second half. Luc Mbah a Moute scored a career playoff-high 15 points.

"That's a difficult cover," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said of Paul. "We put different guys on him and covered the pick-and-roll a few different ways. That's really all you can do is maybe try to give him some different looks because he's usually going to figure out if you're doing one thing - as you saw during the third quarter.

"You just keep trying to adjust as best as you can and compete. The hard thing for us is when we did get some stops, they got second shots."

Joe Johnson tried to will the Jazz to victory in the fourth quarter after Hayward slowed down, finishing with 15 points off the bench. George Hill scored 26 thanks to a 13-point third quarter, then said the Jazz needed to win the next game.

"Yes, it's a must-win situation for us," he said. "You never want to go down 3-1, especially going back to their home court."

Griffin left the game with 3:18 remaining in the second quarter and did not return after landing awkwardly following a transition layup. The Clippers ruled it a bruised right big toe. The five-time All-Star had 11 points, six rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes.

Griffin had X-rays at the arena that were negative and the Clippers planned to re-evaluate him later Friday night.

"One of the biggest adjustments is we probably won't be able to play through the post so much," Paul said. "He's such a dynamic player. We go to him in the post and we cut and move off him. ... He's our other assist guy.

"Just his leadership, it's just a different feeling when he's on the court."

TIP-INS

Clippers: Austin Rivers missed his third game of the series due to a strained left hamstring. ... Paul passed Wilt Chamberlain to rank No. 30 on the NBA's career playoff assists list.

Jazz: Alec Burks sat out after getting a platelet rich plasma injection in his left knee on Thursday. ... Hill surpassed the 1,000 career playoff points plateau in the third quarter. ... Hayward's 21 first-quarter points was a franchise playoff record for any one quarter.

STILL OUT

Jazz center Rudy Gobert did not play again due to a hyperextended left knee and bone contusion suffered 17 seconds into the series opener. Derrick Favors started at center and Boris Diaw opened at power forward.

Snyder said he and Doc Rivers have talked about how both teams have been injury plagued this season.

"The bottom line is nobody will remember who is playing and who is not playing," Snyder said. "They will just remember which team was able to win."

QUOTABLE

"We lost, so none of that matters," Hayward said of the 40 points.

QUOTABLE, TOO

"I've had a man crush on him for three years now and he continues to be great," Rivers said of Hayward.

UP NEXT

The Jazz host the Clippers for Game 4 on Sunday.

Lob City smash: Clippers beat Jazz 99-91, even series at 1-1

By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Buoyed by a newfound sense of urgency, the Clippers took it to the Utah Jazz from the opening tip. The patch of real estate under the basket was all theirs, all game.

Blake Griffin led a smash-mouth revival of Lob City with 24 points and DeAndre Jordan had a double-double in the Clippers' 99-91 victory on Tuesday night that evened their playoff series at 1-1.

Jordan finished with 18 points and 15 rebounds, and Chris Paul added 21 points and 10 assists for the Clippers, who crushed the Jazz in the paint, 60-38.

"It was big," Griffin said. "Our spirit was great, and I think it just carried over into the first quarter, with everybody being aggressive. That's what we need. Miss or make shots, we have to be aggressive like that. Our offensive aggressiveness will carry over to defense."

Los Angeles stormed to a 12-point lead in the first quarter, reeling off the kind of dunks that earned the team's Lob City moniker years ago. Jordan's tomahawk jam put an exclamation on the end of the period.

The Big Three of Griffin, Jordan and Paul combined on 10-of-13 shooting and six rebounds in the first, when the Clippers shot 65 percent. They outscored the Jazz 18-0 in the paint.

"They played with an intensity and level from the beginning of the game," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "It was impressive."

There was more to come in the second. Griffin powered down two dunks and Jordan again ended the scoring with an alley-oop slam from Jamal Crawford that sent the Clippers into halftime leading 51-42.

"We got a lot of stops early in the game," Jordan said. "We were able to get out and run in transition and get some easy dunks and post steals for Blake, and then it opens up for our shooters."

Gordon Hayward led the Jazz with 20 points. Joe Johnson, whose floater at the buzzer gave them a two-point win in Game 1, added 13 points off the bench.

The Jazz never led in the game and got no closer than six points in the fourth.

"The first quarter is what really got us, and they hit us a little bit, set us back in Game 1, as well," Hayward said. "We definitely have to be better in the first quarter, but besides the first quarter we played them pretty even."

Utah closed within three points early in the third on a basket by Derrick Favors, who started in place of injured Rudy GobertAP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) Buoyed by a newfound sense of urgency, the Clippers took it to the Utah Jazz from the opening tip. The patch of real estate under the basket was all theirs, all game.

Blake Griffin led a smash-mouth revival of Lob City with 24 points and DeAndre Jordan had a double-double in the Clippers' 99-91 victory on Tuesday night that evened their playoff series at 1-1.

Jordan finished with 18 points and 15 rebounds, and Chris Paul added 21 points and 10 assists for the Clippers, who crushed the Jazz in the paint, 60-38.

"It was big," Griffin said. "Our spirit was great, and I think it just carried over into the first quarter, with everybody being aggressive. That's what we need. Miss or make shots, we have to be aggressive like that. Our offensive aggressiveness will carry over to defense."

Los Angeles stormed to a 12-point lead in the first quarter, reeling off the kind of dunks that earned the team's Lob City moniker years ago. Jordan's tomahawk jam put an exclamation on the end of the period.

The Big Three of Griffin, Jordan and Paul combined on 10-of-13 shooting and six rebounds in the first, when the Clippers shot 65 percent. They outscored the Jazz 18-0 in the paint.

"They played with an intensity and level from the beginning of the game," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "It was impressive."

There was more to come in the second. Griffin powered down two dunks and Jordan again ended the scoring with an alley-oop slam from Jamal Crawford that sent the Clippers into halftime leading 51-42.

"We got a lot of stops early in the game," Jordan said. "We were able to get out and run in transition and get some easy dunks and post steals for Blake, and then it opens up for our shooters."

Gordon Hayward led the Jazz with 20 points. Joe Johnson, whose floater at the buzzer gave them a two-point win in Game 1, added 13 points off the bench.

The Jazz never led in the game and got no closer than six points in the fourth.

"The first quarter is what really got us, and they hit us a little bit, set us back in Game 1, as well," Hayward said. "We definitely have to be better in the first quarter, but besides the first quarter we played them pretty even."

Utah closed within three points early in the third on a basket by Derrick Favors, who started in place of injured Rudy Gobert. But Paul answered with a 3-pointer, then stole the ball from George Hill and cruised in for a layup before J.J. Redick scored, capping a 7-0 spurt to push the lead back to double digits.

Without Gobert to patrol the middle, the Clippers easily had their way.

"We got to find other ways to protect the paint. That's the challenge," Snyder said. "There's no sense lamenting his absence. Just got to figure out how to be better."

The Clippers played defense down the stretch. Jordan came out to the perimeter to hound Hayward, while Griffin got in Johnson's face. At one point, Paul's mouthpiece went flying and landed on the opposite side of the court.

Griffin took a page out of Paul's repertoire and buried a 3-pointer from the left corner, extending the Clippers' lead to 97-88 with 1:35 to play.

TIP-INS

Jazz: Gobert, who injured his knee just 17 seconds into the series opener, joined two assistant coaches for a pregame meal in the media dining room, an area rarely visited by players. "He's trying to get back as quick as he can," Snyder said. ... In the second half, four costumed cows jumped up and down behind Utah's basket, trying to distract free-throw shooters as part of a chicken sandwich promotion.

Clippers: They made just eight trips to the free throw line. ... Jordan fouled out with 52 seconds left in the game and Paul had four fouls. ... Griffin received a technical in the first quarter; the team also had one in Game 1.

OUTSIDE STRUGGLES

As good as the Clippers were inside, they struggled from outside. They were 44 of 84 from the field. Shooting guards J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford exemplified the drought. Redick was 2 of 7 for 4 points, while Crawford was 3 of 12 for 10 points. Combined, the duo missed all seven of their 3-point attempts. "We need to open it up a little bit. We've got to make some shots," Rivers said.

UP NEXT

Game 3 is Friday in Salt Lake City.. But Paul answered with a 3-pointer, then stole the ball from George Hill and cruised in for a layup before J.J. Redick scored, capping a 7-0 spurt to push the lead back to double digits.

Without Gobert to patrol the middle, the Clippers easily had their way.

"We got to find other ways to protect the paint. That's the challenge," Snyder said. "There's no sense lamenting his absence. Just got to figure out how to be better."

The Clippers played defense down the stretch. Jordan came out to the perimeter to hound Hayward, while Griffin got in Johnson's face. At one point, Paul's mouthpiece went flying and landed on the opposite side of the court.

Griffin took a page out of Paul's repertoire and buried a 3-pointer from the left corner, extending the Clippers' lead to 97-88 with 1:35 to play.

TIP-INS

Jazz: Gobert, who injured his knee just 17 seconds into the series opener, joined two assistant coaches for a pregame meal in the media dining room, an area rarely visited by players. "He's trying to get back as quick as he can," Snyder said. ... In the second half, four costumed cows jumped up and down behind Utah's basket, trying to distract free-throw shooters as part of a chicken sandwich promotion.

Clippers: They made just eight trips to the free throw line. ... Jordan fouled out with 52 seconds left in the game and Paul had four fouls. ... Griffin received a technical in the first quarter; the team also had one in Game 1.

OUTSIDE STRUGGLES

As good as the Clippers were inside, they struggled from outside. They were 44 of 84 from the field. Shooting guards J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford exemplified the drought. Redick was 2 of 7 for 4 points, while Crawford was 3 of 12 for 10 points. Combined, the duo missed all seven of their 3-point attempts. "We need to open it up a little bit. We've got to make some shots," Rivers said.

UP NEXT

Game 3 is Friday in Salt Lake City.

Johnson's drive at buzzer helps Jazz beat LA 97-95 in Game 1

By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Joe Johnson has seen a lot in his 16 years in the NBA. So the veteran didn't flinch with the clock ticking down and the game tied.

All that experience is why the Utah Jazz brought him in this season.

It paid off when Johnson drove the lane and hit a floater at the buzzer, giving the Jazz a 97-95 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers after Utah lost Rudy Gobert 17 seconds into their playoff opener on Saturday night.

"I just wanted to get as close as I could to the basket, and it was a good thing it went down," Johnson said.

Johnson, who scored 21 points, was left isolated against Jamal Crawford on the final play. He powered his way inside and lofted a shot over Crawford and DeAndre Jordan that bounced around the rim before falling in. A video review confirmed it was good.

"I just try to be patient, get to a sweet spot, and make the right play," Johnson said.

He's made an NBA-best eight game-winning buzzer-beaters in the past 10 years.

"That's what he's been doing all his career," Utah's Boris Diaw said. "So when he gets the ball at the end of the game, we are pretty confident."

The Jazz were dealt a blow before either team had settled into the game.

Gobert sprained his left knee on the game's first play when he banged knees with Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute, leaving the Jazz without their 7-foot-1 center who averaged 14.0 points and 12.8 rebounds during the regular season.

"We felt and knew that a lot of people probably were counting us out when he went down, but man, we stuck together," Johnson said.

Utah steadied itself behind Johnson and fellow veteran George Hill, both of whom were brought in to balance the inexperienced Jazz. Johnson finished with 21 points off the bench and Hill added 16 points.

Gordon Hayward had 19 points and 10 rebounds for Utah.

Blake Griffin scored 26 points and Chris Paul added 25 points and 11 assists for the Clippers, whose seven-game winning streak ended with their first loss since March 26 against Sacramento.

A driving Paul banked in a floater with 13 seconds to go, tying the game at 95.

The Jazz didn't call a timeout.

"We just wanted to have it where they couldn't set up on us," Hayward said, glancing at Johnson. "We just wanted to get it and go and let this man go to work."

Making their first playoff appearance in five years, the Jazz outshot the Clippers and narrowly controlled the paint, owning a 42-40 edge.

The teams tied with identical 51-31 records in the regular season. The Clippers earned the No. 4 seed and home court by virtue of winning the season series 3-1.

"We fought until the end of the year to get it, and now we've given it right back," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said.

Utah withstood Paul's offensive outburst in the fourth after the Jazz led by eight on Hill's 3-pointer. Paul rattled off 10 straight Los Angeles points, drawing the Clippers to 90-89 on a 3-pointer.

Hayward and Johnson scored, keeping the Jazz ahead 94-91. But Johnson lost the ball and Hill fouled Griffin, who made both free throws to get the Clippers to 94-93 with 23 seconds left.

After a timeout by the Jazz, Griffin fouled Derrick Favors, who missed the first and made the second after it hit the rim and went in for a 95-93 lead with 18 seconds left.

"We've got to be better," Paul said. "They played harder, they were more physical."

Gobert was setting a screen when he and Mbah a Moute made contact and Gobert fell to the court clutching his left leg.

He had to be helped off by Diaw and Hill. A team spokesman said X-rays were negative, and Gobert was taken from Staples Center to have a precautionary MRI.

"We felt a little bit stunned out there," Diaw said, "but then we regrouped and got back on the horse."

The matchup between Gobert and Jordan was expected to be a key in the best-of-7 series. Jordan finished with 10 points and 15 rebounds and got called for a technical in the fourth with the Clippers down six.

"We have the rule, no fourth-quarter techs, and he got one," Rivers said. "It didn't make a huge difference, but it could have for sure."

Utah outscored the Clippers 16-10 to open the third before Crawford's jumper put Los Angeles ahead 70-68. Hayward singlehandedly outscored the Clippers 6-0 to send the Jazz into the fourth leading 74-70.

Neither team led by more than six points in the first half. The Clippers were ahead by six when the Jazz outscored them 14-2 in the second quarter to take their own six-point lead. Griffin got stripped under the basket by Hayward, but he hit a 3-pointer and made a layup on the Clippers' next two possessions to key a 14-8 spurt that ended with the half tied 52-all.

TIP-INS

Jazz: The last time the teams met in the playoffs was a first-round series in 1996-97, won 3-0 by the Jazz. ... Utah also won the teams' other postseason series 3-2 in 1991-92, which was interrupted by the riots after the Rodney King verdict.

Clippers: Backup G Austin Rivers (strained left hamstring) did some shooting for the first time Saturday since his injury. He's out for at least the first two games of the series. ... Former Clipper Baron Davis shared hugs with the referees from the courtside seat.

UP NEXT

Game 2 is Tuesday night at Staples Center.

Clippers beat Mavs 112-101 behind 32 by Griffin

By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) Blake Griffin is rounding into form just in time to bolster the Los Angeles Clippers in the playoffs.

He scored 32 points - his third straight game of at least 31 - and the Clippers led all the way in beating the Dallas Mavericks 112-101 on Wednesday night. Los Angeles moved within a half-game of idle Utah for the No. 4 playoff seed in the West.

"We keep forgetting he missed a huge part of the season," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "He's getting ready."

Griffin returned Jan. 23 after missing 20 games while recovering from a procedure on his right knee.

"He's mixing it up and scoring every way," Rivers said. "He's shooting, driving and passing. When he faces up and goes, it is either a bucket or a foul. He feels healthy enough to do that more."

J.J. Redick added 25 points and DeAndre Jordan had 20 rebounds in the Clippers' fourth straight victory and eighth in 10 games. Chris Paul had 22 points and 11 assists.

Harrison Barnes led the Mavs with 15 points despite five fouls. They've lost six of seven with four games left in their season. Dirk Nowitzki was held to nine points - under his 14.4 average - a night after the 38-year-old forward sat out the Mavs' loss at Sacramento with a sore Achilles tendon.

The Clippers made their first nine shots of the game, with Luc Mbah a Moute narrowly missing a finger roll to end the stretch leading 22-6. They shot 61 percent in the first quarter and eventually led by 17.

"We made some jumpers, but we didn't break their rhythm or anything," Nowitzki said. "We just had some bad stretches there where we couldn't score. We had some bad miscommunication with defense, and they made us pay."

Dallas got within seven in the second before the Clippers extended their lead to 18 and went into halftime ahead 62-49.

Yogi Ferrell scored nine of the Mavs' first 18 points to open the third, cutting their deficit to six. The rookie guard played defense, too, stripping Paul of the ball on the baseline for a layup to complete back-to-back baskets.

"They just kept fighting," Rivers said. "They had a lot of reasons to say `game over' and that made us keep playing."

Ferrell finished with 14 points, matching JJ Barea.

The Clippers regrouped and closed on a 17-6 run, including eight by Griffin, for a 90-73 lead going into the fourth. The spurt featured Jordan making two straight free throws, something he hadn't done all game, and Paul hitting a step back jumper in the right corner with the shot clock winding down.

Marreese Speights opened the fourth with a 3-pointer that pushed the Clippers' lead to 20, their largest of the game.

But the Mavs weren't done yet.

Nicolas Brussino rallied them within 10 on a 3-pointer from the left corner as the shot clock expired. Griffin answered with a 3 of his own before Brussino made another 3 and the Mavs were down nine.

"He's just been crazy aggressive, crazy efficient," Paul said of Griffin. "He's just been our beast, that's what we call him and stuff like that, so we are going to keep feeding him."

They got no closer, with the Clippers making all six of their free throws over the final 2 1/2 minutes.

TIP-INS

Mavericks: Nowitzki tied former Mav Jason Kidd for eighth on the NBA's all-time games played list with his 1,391st. ... Rookie Ferrell made his 25th start of the season. He replaced Seth Curry, who missed his third straight game because of a left shoulder strain.

Clippers: Redick is six 3-pointers (194) from tying his career high and single-season franchise record of 200 made. He set the mark in each of the last two seasons. ... Coach Doc Rivers is two wins from passing Mike Dunleavy (215) for most regular-season victories in franchise history. ... They split the season series 2-2.

HE SAID IT

"We could take care of business in the next four and still not have it." - Rivers on possibility of his team moving up to the No. 4 playoff seed.

UP NEXT

Mavericks: Host San Antonio on Friday. The Mavs have lost two of three to the Spurs in the season series.

Clippers: Visit San Antonio on Saturday. The Clippers have won two of three so far.