Rubio, Jazz drop turnover-plagued Wizards 107-104

By BENJAMIN STANDIG
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Washington Wizards had every reason to take the Jazz seriously after they were routed by 47 points in Utah last month.

Nonetheless, their uneven play against inferior opponents continued.

Ricky Rubio scored 21 points, Donovan Mitchell had 16 and the short-handed Jazz completed a season sweep of the Wizards with a 107-104 win on Wednesday night.

Ekpe Udoh scored 16 points and Joe Johnson had 16 off the bench for the Jazz, who had lost 13 of 16 in between meetings with Washington. The Wizards (23-18), who were embarrassed 116-69 in Utah on Dec. 4, fell to 11-10 against teams with losing records.

"That is something you never stop thinking about as a competitor," Washington forward Kelly Oubre Jr. said of the previous drubbing, "and that's why it hurts even more to lose this one."

Utah played without two starters, and second-leading scorer Rodney Hood was ejected in the second half.

"We had a great effort from a lot of guys and I think at the end there's just a determination," Jazz coach Quin Snyder. "We were fortunate that a few shots missed and we made a couple big ones when we needed to. I thought we made some of our own luck tonight."

Washington did not have John Wall in the first meeting with Utah. The four-time All-Star had 35 points and 11 assists but committed eight of the Wizards' season-high-matching 23 turnovers.

Bradley Beal had 23 points, but lost the ball with 2.9 seconds remaining while attempting a game-tying 3-pointer.

"You're not going to win a game if you turn it over that many times," Beal said.

Washington shot 8-for-22 in the fourth quarter.

"We know on offense you can make or miss shots but on defense you've got to make stops at the end," Rubio said, "and I think we did it tonight and that's why we got the win."

The Wizards shot 52.6 percent from the field but lost their second straight after winning their previous four. Utah (17-24) got just its fourth road win of the season.

Washington trailed by 10 early in the fourth quarter before Wall hit a pair of 3-pointers during an 11-3 surge that gave the Wizards a one-point lead.

Joe Ingles responded with a 3-pointer that put Utah ahead 104-102 with 1:09 remaining. Washington's defense erred with an ill-advised double-team on Mitchell's penetration.

"It was good in the first half, (but) in that third quarter, and then the last two minutes we made so many mistakes. ... It cannot happen," Wizards coach Scott Brooks said.

Washington led most of the first half and 50-46 at halftime, but Utah seized momentum with a 16-3 run in the third quarter, during which Hood received his second technical foul. Rubio's jumper after one of the Wizards' nine turnovers in the quarter put the Jazz up 83-75.

TIP-INS

Jazz: Utah outscored Washington 37-27 in the third, and Udoh scored 10 points in the period. . Ingles had 10 points. ... Already without C Rudy Gobert, Utah played without F/C Derrick Favors (right ankle sprain).

Wizards: F Otto Porter (hip, back) had 14 points after missing Saturday's game against Milwaukee. Oubre had 12 points. ... The team handed out All-Star Game promotional boxes with images of Wall and Beal on the front. Items inside included M&Ms with pictures of each guard and "(hash)NBAvote" on the back. ... F Devin Robinson, Washington's lone two-way contract player, joined the Wizards for the first time this season.

FLIP PHONE

Walking off the court following his ejection with 2:21 remaining in the third, Hood smacked a phone out of the hands of a fan in the stands. The Jazz responded with a 9-0 run.

FOURTH QUARTER FLOP

Beal's run of poor shooting late in games continued. Washington's leading scorer missed 6 of 7 shots in the final period after going 0-for-8 in his previous two fourth quarters.

UP NEXT

Jazz: Close their four-game trip at Charlotte on Friday night.

Wizards: Continue their homestand Friday against Orlando.

Thunder's Westbrook lowers boom on Jazz

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Russell Westbrook heated up and the Oklahoma City Thunder started their push back.

But it was a stretch early in the fourth quarter with Westbrook and two of the Thunder's other starters on the bench that lit the fuse in Oklahoma City's 100-94 win over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

"It's very satisfying when the bench comes in and we don't retreat, we don't have any lapses," Thunder forward Patrick Patterson said. "It's very satisfying. For us to come in and give us some momentum and the starters come back in and just build on that and just take it up another notch, it was good for us."

The win was the third consecutive for the Thunder (11-12), who beat the Jazz for the 13th consecutive time at home.

Westbrook started the pushback in the third quarter after Oklahoma City fell behind by 17 with four minutes to go.

"Russell Westbrook, the MVP of the league, got going," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "I thought in the third quarter he gave them a lot of energy and gave them points."

The reigning most valuable player scored 11 of the Thunder's 13 points the rest of the quarter to cut the lead to 12 before giving way to Patterson and the rest of the second unit for a bit to start the fourth.

The group that included Paul George, Andre Roberson and bench players Patterson, Raymond Felton and Jerami Grant cut the Jazz lead to six before the rest of the Thunder's starters re-entered with 7:30 remaining.

The Thunder outscored the Jazz 24-12 the rest of the way, with Utah (13-12) scoring only 14 points in the fourth quarter.

"I thought we ran out of steam a little bit just emotionally," Snyder said. "We've got to be able to play through that, but I thought all in all, obviously you want to win, but there's a lot of good things that we did."

The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for Utah.

Westbrook had his seventh triple-double of the season, finishing with 34 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds.

George added 21 points while Steven Adams scored 20 points, his third consecutive game with 19 or more. Adams was 9 of 10 from the floor and also grabbed nine rebounds.

"The reason why Steven is doing what he's doing is because of Carmelo Anthony and Paul George," Donovan said. "When we're patient on offense, Steven's going to get those opportunities.

"Steven's not doing anything different from maybe he's done in the past. It's not like we're throwing the ball into the low post and this guy's going to a variety of different moves. He's catching it in the lane, he's making floaters, and if he doesn't have a floater, he's making extra passes.

"He's offensive rebounding. He's going those things, but it has to do with a lot of those guys around him on the floor."

Anthony had 14 points for his first double-digit scoring performance in the win streak.

Utah (13-12) managed only 14 fourth-quarter points as Oklahoma City scored 32 to finish off the comeback.

Donovan Mitchell led Utah with 31 points and Joe Ingles added 16.

Anthony and George combined for 19 points in the fourth quarter to help Oklahoma City complete the rally.

Westbrook picked the ball away from Mitchell with 4:14 left and finished it off on the other end to put the Thunder up 88-87, their first lead since the opening moments of the game.

It was one of two critical turnovers for Mitchell down the stretch.

After the Jazz regained the lead briefly, George drove to the basket, finishing and picking up the foul to put the Thunder back in front.

Mitchell turned the ball over again on the ensuing possession, and this time it was Anthony finishing on the other end, taking a feed from Westbrook and hitting a step-back jumper to extend the lead.

The Thunder outrebounded the Jazz 23-13 in the fourth quarter.

Oklahoma City is 3-9 in games decided by eight points or fewer, though all three wins have come during the current winning streak.

NOTES: Jazz PG Raul Neto, a night after returning from two games out with an injury, missed the game with right foot soreness. Utah G Rodney Hood sat out his fifth consecutive game because of left ankle soreness. ... Thunder PG Russell Westbrook blocked his 200th career shot, becoming the only player in NBA history with 200 blocks, 5,000 assists and 15,000 points in his first 700 career games. ... Utah G Thabo Sefolosha played in the game a night after being removed by referees when he took an elbow to the head from teammate Neto. ... Thunder C Steven Adams made his first seven shots from the field.

Jazz destroy Wizards by 47

SALT LAKE CITY -- Disaster seemed to be hovering on the horizon for the Utah Jazz when Rudy Gobert went down with a knee injury in early November.

Gobert, one of the NBA's elite defensive players, anchors a Jazz defense that was porous whenever he was off the floor. Things changed while he was gone.

When the center returned to action in a 116-69 win over the Washington Wizards on Monday night, he got to see how much his teammates grew on defense without him.

The Wizards matched the lowest point total for any NBA team this season. They shot just 23 of 80 (28.8 percent) from the floor against the Jazz.

"I feel like it brought us together as a team," Gobert said of his injury that led to an 11-game absence. "Guys are ready to take defense more personally, and I feel like everyone got better defensively. Now that I'm back, we get to that level even better than we've ever been."

Alec Burks scored 27 points to spearhead a balanced offensive effort from the Utah. Donovan Mitchell added 21 points. Gobert finished with 10 rebounds, four points and two blocks in 21 minutes.

Utah (13-11) won its sixth straight game overall and fifth consecutive home contest. The Jazz shot 16 of 34 (47.1 percent) from the perimeter.

"We were a step behind in just about everything," Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. "They were running their offense and we were playing chase. When you do that, you're at their mercy."

Otto Porter Jr. scored 14 points while Bradley Beal, Markieff Morris and Kelly Oubre Jr. added 11 apiece for Washington. The Wizards (12-11) lost for the sixth time in nine games, struggling to generate any consistent offense and getting dominated on the glass.

Washington got dominated around the basket on both ends of the court. The Jazz outrebounded the Wizards 52-31 and had a 50-24 advantage in points in the paint.

"It was embarrassing, that's probably the best way to put it," Beal said. "There's no point in really getting down about it because we plainly got our (butt) kicked today."

Making sweet music on offense came easy for the Jazz before halftime. Utah matched its season high with 64 first-half points. The Jazz shot 25 of 44 (56.8 percent) from the field before the break, 43 of 76 (56.6 percent) overall.

Mitchell set the tone with a melody of crisp passes and excellent shooting in the first quarter. The rookie scored baskets on all four of his field-goal attempts in the period. His final one came on a pull-up jumper that gave Utah a 19-13 lead.

The play opened the door for a 33-6 Jazz run that put the game out of reach. Utah took its first double-digit lead at 26-15 on a layup from Thabo Sefolosha and a cutting dunk from Derrick Favors on back-to-back possessions. The Jazz kept surging ahead on a combination of layups and 3-pointers.

Utah took a 20-point lead at 37-17 on back-to-back 3-pointers from Sefolosha and Raul Neto. Gobert scored a put-back layup and Jonas Jerebko drilled a 3-pointer to finally finish off the run and put the Jazz ahead 52-21 with 5:55 left before halftime.

"We caught them on a tough shooting night, which makes it hard," Utah coach Quin Snyder said. "We were fortunate in that respect. I think we really came out with the right mindset defensively. When we do that, the offense is just easier and the ball moved."

The Wizards endured a major cold spell to facilitate Utah's decisive run. They missed 16 of 17 shots over an eight-minute stretch spanning the first and second quarter. Porter was the only Washington player who made more than two field-goal attempts in the first half.

Washington only led twice in the game, both within the first three minutes of the first quarter. Tim Frazier gave the Wizards their final lead when he drained a pull-up 3-pointer to make it 7-6.

NOTES: Utah had 29 assists on 43 baskets while holding Washington to 23 total field goals. ... Wizards G Bradley Beal is averaging 10.5 points on 30.8 percent shooting over his past two games after averaging 24.7 points per game through the month of November. ... Jazz G Alec Burks is averaging 26.3 points on 63.8 percent shooting over his past three games. ... Wizards C Marcin Gortat logged his 105th straight start. It is the third-longest active streak in the NBA.

Fired-up Joel Embiid powers 76ers over Jazz 107-86

By MIKE CRANSTON
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid was missing shots and upset with his play.

That all changed with a theatrical, crowd-pleasing and game-changing flop.

Ben Simmons had a career-high 27 points and 10 rebounds, a fired-up Embiid added 15 points and 11 rebounds despite a sore knee, and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the cold-shooting Utah Jazz 107-86 on Monday night.

The injury-prone Embiid skipped the morning shootaround because of pain his surgically-repaired left knee. But he posted his seventh double-double and got under Utah’s skin at a decisive time in the fourth quarter.

“The whole game I thought I was kind of flat,” Embiid said. “I was kind of going through the motions. I needed that, getting the crowd going.”

The Jazz had cut a 21-point deficit to 11 and were down 92-79 with 4:13 left when rookie Donovan Mitchell drove the lane and Embiid emphatically swatted away his shot.

After Mitchell fell underneath the basket, Embiid turned and jawed at him. While the 6-foot-3 Mitchell claimed he couldn’t hear what he said, he got up and lightly shoved Embiid.

The 7-foot-2 Embiid crashed to the floor.

“He just got up kind of fake-shouldered and I flopped and he got a technical for it,” Embiid said with a grin.

As Mitchell drew the technical foul, Embiid got up and motioned to the fans, who started to chant “MVP” and “Trust the Process,” the team’s mantra during a lengthy rebuild.

“The young kid in me kind of showed,” Mitchell said. “Inexperience right there in that moment, because I think we were down (13) and we ended up losing by 21.”

Embiid later hit a jumper to make it 95-82. When he exited to a standing ovation with 1:50 left, the Sixers were up 18 and had secured their second win in five games.

“It was all fun after the game. We shook hands,” Embiid said of Mitchell. “It was just about having fun.”

Mitchell scored 17 points on 6 of 19 shooting, Rodney Hood added 13 while making 5 of 17 shots, and the Jazz shot 35.3 percent from the field in losing for the eighth time in 10 games.

After blowing a 22-point halftime lead Saturday against Golden State, Simmons hit 11 of 15 shots after halftime and the Sixers pulled away this time.

J.J. Redick shook off a scoreless first half to finish with 20 points, and Amir Johnson grabbed 13 rebounds.

The Sixers didn’t know they’d have Embiid until about 45 minutes before the game after he successfully tested the knee in warmups.

Embiid sat out a win at Utah two weeks ago for what the Sixers called “load management” as they try to keep him healthy after a number of injuries. He made just 7 of 16 shots, but again proved the team’s emotional leader.

“I like our guys playing with an edge. I like them having some level of swagger and feeling good about themselves,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said. “That was a big play. It certainly got the crowd involved.”

The Jazz, at the end of a four-game trip, have been struggling as they deal with injuries to four key players. But even without Rudy Gobert, they were coming off a 40-point rout of Orlando on Saturday for their first road win.

The offense remained stuck in Florida early, and Utah couldn’t contain the 6-foot-10 Simmons, who scored on a variety of drives and pull-ups while facing several defenders.

“They were driving us, particularly in the open floor. And we didn’t do a good job of staying in front of them,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. “When you get guys like Simmons downhill with his size, they’re going to finish down there.”

TIP-INS

Jazz: Alec Burks was 1 of 10 from the field. . Utah hasn’t won consecutive games since Nov. 1.

76ers: G Jerryd Bayless (wrist) had five points in his return from a six-game absence. ... The 36 points allowed in the first half were the fewest since Dec. 11, 2016 at Detroit. ... The team began selling Australian beef pies at concession stands in a promotion tied to Simmons, an Aussie.

UP NEXT

The Jazz face Chicago on Wednesday to begin a three-game homestand.

The 76ers play Portland on Wednesday in the third game of six straight at home.

Hood scores season high 25, Jazz beat Mavericks 104-89

By KAREEM COPELAND
Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Rodney Hood was determined to find his groove after two fouls in the first quarter earned him an early seat on the bench. He found it in the third quarter when a quick floater jump-started a Utah Jazz comeback.

Hood scored 15 of his season-high 25 points in the third quarter to help the Jazz rally to beat the Dallas Mavericks 104-89 on Monday night.

“Just aggressiveness,” Hood said. “My teammates were telling me to be more aggressive. The early foul trouble kind of threw me out of rhythm. Being more in attack mode.

“I knew I was going to get a chance to make an impact. ... I knew I was going to get into the flow.”

The Mavs hit nine of 14 3-pointers in the first half and the Jazz struggled to defend their drive-and-kick action. But Utah came alive in the second half thanks to Hood and a 25-4 run to start the third quarter.

The Jazz adjusted their defense in the second half and made things much more difficult for one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the league. The Mavericks were just 3 for 10 from behind the arc in the second half.

“That’s what they’re really good at, drive-and-kick to generate 3s as good as anybody in the league,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. “The second half we did a good job of not over-helping. You’ve got to be able to guard your yard. When we do that and can defensive rebound, it gives us a chance to play offense in the flow of the game. When you’re taking the ball out of the net, it’s a lot harder.

“We did a better job of staying in front. Just man-on-man and being focused on it. Then Rudy’s rim protection.”

Dallas climbed back within five late in the fourth quarter, but an 11-0 run highlighted by a pull-up Hood 3-pointer from the top of the arc put the game away. Hood had just five first-half points.

“I’m not into moral victories about one good half played in an NBA game,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. “You’ve got to bring it for the whole game or you get beat.

“The second half was not just bad, it was unbelievable.”

Ricky Rubio saw his shot begin to fall in the second half and finished with 20 points. Rudy Gobert added 17 points, 12 rebounds, six blocks and six assists.

Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavs with a season-high 18 points and J.J. Barea added 17 off the bench, all in the first half.

“We just got to figure things out,” Mavs guard Devin Harris said. “We got small things that turn into big things. Just have to play harder, smarter.

“We have to trust each other. We’re still trying to find out identity.”

TIP-INS

Mavericks: Rookie Dennis Smith Jr. played 17 minutes despite being listed as questionable with a left knee effusion. He was 1 for 7 for two points. ... Dallas began the night ranked No. 3 in the NBA with 12.9 made 3-pointers per game and No. 5 with a 37.8 percentage from behind the arc. ... The Jazz scored 33 points off 24 Mavs turnovers.

Jazz: Snyder had his birthday on Monday. He turned 51. ... Rubio entered the game as the second Jazz player, joining Deron Williams, to post at least 90 points, 45 assists and 30 rebounds through their first six games with the organization.

CLOSE BUT NO CALL

The Mavs came out as one of four teams to start the week with just one victory. Carlisle, however, likes the way they’ve lost.

“We’ve played seven and I think we’ve had five that have been one possession games,” Carlisle said before the game. “This league is about tight games and thin margins for error. We’ve just got to do a few things better each game to put ourselves in a better position.

“Rebounding has got to be better. Turn it over less. Make a few more shots. Pretty simple stuff, but it’s the NBA, so it’s hard. Teams are defending you. You’re in tough places like this and so, it’s hard work. But you’ve got to get it done.”

UP NEXT

Mavericks: Travel to face Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.

Jazz: Host Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

Warren scores 27, Suns top Jazz 97-88 to go 2-0 under Triano

By BOB BAUM
Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — After three games this season, the Phoenix Suns were allowing almost 129 points per game. Now they’re playing tough defense, believe it or not.

The Suns have undergone a strange, unexpected transformation since interim coach Jay Triano took over when Earl Watson was fired two games ago.

“They’re just having fun,” Utah’s Rudy Gobert said, “playing hard and playing free and good things can happen when you do that.”

T.J. Warren scored 20 of his 27 points in the second half and the Suns improved to 2-0 under Triano with a 97-88 victory over the Jazz on Wednesday night.

“We’re just playing together, on both ends,” Devin Booker said. “I said it right after they made the coaching change, this should be eye-opening for us. And I love the way we responded.”

The Jazz, who lost the previous night to the Clippers in Los Angeles, never led. Phoenix was up by as many as 17 in the first half and 18 in the second.

Booker added 17 for the Suns, including a crucial 3-pointer with 1:29 to play after Utah had cut the lead to eight. Alex Len and Tyler Ulis scored 13 apiece. Len also grabbed 13 rebounds.

“They were very aggressive,” Utah coach Quin Snyder said. “They were the more aggressive team. You saw it on the offensive glass, you saw it getting loose balls. They attacked.”

Rodney Hood scored 22 for the Jazz, and Gobert had 16. Derrick Favors and Ricky Rubio added 14 apiece.

“We lacked energy,” Hood said. “We’ve just got to understand when we turn the ball over, especially against a team that is playing loose right now, playing with a lot of confidence, it just makes it harder for us.”

It’s been quite a turnaround for Phoenix, which opened the season with the most one-sided loss in its history, 124-76 to Portland, and was clobbered by 42 points against the Clippers two games later.

That led to the firing of Watson and the promotion of Triano, the former Toronto head coach and coach of the Canadian national team. Phoenix beat Sacramento in Triano’s debut Monday night.

“I think we’re playing for each other right now,” Marquese Chriss said. “We’re moving the ball, just playing real unselfishly and we’re just pushing the tempo.”

The biggest difference has been when the Suns don’t have the ball, with Booker — in the past known for his big-time offense but certainly not his defense — a major contributor.

“In the years I’ve been here, I haven’t seen Devin this focused at the defensive end of the floor,” Triano said. “He’s chasing over screens, he’s in a stance, his work ethic at the defensive end has been great. I was worried while he transitions into becoming a very good defensive player, his offensive game is going to go, but he was money down the stretch when we needed him.”

Just as they did in their previous game, the Suns jumped out to a big lead.

It was 10-2 after Booker’s basket with nine minutes left in the first quarter and, after Josh Jackson threw a slick behind-the-back pass to Len for a dunk, Phoenix was up 32-15 with 9:42 to play in the half.

Phoenix had a fast start to the second half, too. The Suns scored the first six points of the third quarter and outscored the Jazz 21-10 over the first 8½ minutes of the period to take their biggest lead, 69-51, on Ulis’ 14-footer with 3:30 remaining.

Phoenix was up 83-65 on Warren’s basket with 9:02 to play. But the Jazz rallied with a 16-6 run to cut it to 89-81 with 3:31 remaining. After a two-minute scoring drought by both teams, Booker sank his 3 and the Suns never were seriously threatened again.

TIP-INS

Jazz: Utah committed 24 turnovers to the Suns’ 16. ... Hood played despite a mild left leg strain. ... Utah fell to 0-3 on the road. ... The Jazz swept the season series the last two years.

Suns: Chriss rolled his left ankle and had be assisted off the court with 3:29 to play but said afterward it was nothing serious. ... The Phoenix bench outscored the Jazz reserves 38-9. ... Triano joins Jerry Colangelo, Scott Skiles, Alvin Gentry, Lindsey Hunter and Jeff Hornacek as Suns coaches to win their first two games.

UP NEXT

Jazz: Utah returns home to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.

Suns: Phoenix opens a six-game road trip at Portland on Saturday night.

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.

Curry's 30 lead Warriors to sweep after 121-95 win over Jazz

By KAREEM COPELAND
AP Sports Writer

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The Splash Brothers provided the fast start, and the Golden State Warriors made it a quick finish to the second round.

They're four wins from another NBA Finals appearance, and so far nobody can slow them down.

Stephen Curry scored 30 points and the Warriors completed a second-round sweep of the Utah Jazz with a 121-95 victory Monday night.

"We have a lot of talent," Curry said. "We never know who is going to have a hot night.

"We try to move the ball, use each other to create open shots and when we do that, the ball is hopping and a lot of good things happen."

The defending Western Conference champions have won both their series in four games and now await the winner of the Rockets-Spurs series that is tied at 2-2.

The Warriors kept pace with defending champion Cleveland in what has appeared like an inevitable third straight NBA Finals matchup. Both teams are 8-0 thus far.

"Steph was Steph and we fed off him," Warriors interim head coach Mike Brown said.

Brown said before the game he hoped his team would get out to a fast start and the Warriors did exactly that. Golden State led 39-17 at the end of the first quarter after an onslaught from Klay Thompson and Curry. They combined to shoot 6 for 8 in the opening period.

Thompson finished with 21, Kevin Durantscored 18 and Draymond Green posted his third career postseason triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.

Gordon Hayward led the Jazz with 25 points and Shelvin Mack chipped in 18.

"The most important thing was we imposed our will on the game and we had the game at our pace," Green said.

Curry entered the game averaging 26.7 points in the playoffs, but Thompson had struggled against the Jazz. That ended Monday.

Thompson rebounded from a six-point effort in Game 3 with back-to-back jumpers out the gate. Curry then drained consecutive 3s and the rout was on.

The Jazz started 3 for 16 from the field as Golden State hit from all areas and finished shooting 57.1 percent in the first quarter.

Curry picked up right where he left off after an 11-point fourth quarter in Game 3 with a 14-point first quarter. He, Thompson and Green combined for 29 points in that first 12 minutes.

The Jazz tried to put off their vacation. They used a 14-0 run early in the second quarter, sparked by the suddenly activeDante Exum and Derrick Favors, to cut the lead to 10 points. Utah closed the half with a 12-2 run to trail 60-52 at halftime, but every time the Jazz made a significant run the rest of the way, the Warriors answered and pushed the lead back to double digits.

The Jazz never led Monday and in three of the four games against the Warriors.

Utah ended a four-year playoff drought. Hayward developed into an All-Star andRudy Gobert became a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. The addition of veterans George Hill, Joe Johnson andBoris Diaw to the young corps of Hayward, Gobert, Favors, Hood and Joe Ingles turned into the team's first second-round appearance since 2010.

"It's been a unique arc for us," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "The adversity that kind of continued to rear its head and the way these guys dealt with it. It was apropos tonight.

"What happened, happened. We got blitzed."

TIP-INS

Warriors: Eight consecutive wins to start a postseason is a franchise record. ... If Golden State wins the next round, it will be the first time in franchise history it has gone to three consecutive NBA Finals.

Jazz: Utah scored more than 17 first-quarter points just once in the series. ... Utah's 35 second-quarter points matched a 2017 postseason high for one quarter. ... Hood left the game with a right knee sprain in the fourth quarter and did not return. ... Gobert had his third consecutive double-double with 12 points, 13 rebounds.

NO HILL

George Hill missed his third consecutive game with a left big toe sprain after being a game-time decision. Mack started in his place. The injury has lingered throughout the season and kept the ninth-year veteran from 16 regular-season games. The Jazz were 18-15 during the regular season when Hill missed games.

KERR OUT

Warriors coach Steve Kerr remains out after having a spinal cord leak procedure at Duke University on Friday. There is no timetable for his return. Kerr had back surgery about two years ago and has been dealing with complications. Brown took over as acting coach for Game 3 of the first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers.tonight

Durant scores 38 points, Warriors beat Jazz to take 3-0 lead

By KAREEM COPELAND
AP Sports Writer

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – The Golden State Warriors gave another big example why they signed Kevin Durant during the offseason, and why others around the NBA were dismayed with the addition.

Durant had 38 points and 13 rebounds and the Warriors beat the Utah Jazz 102-91 on Saturday night to take a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series.

The Jazz played their best game of the series and kept three All-Stars in relative check, but the former MVP put on a show.

"That's one of the reasons why we welcomed him here," Warriors acting coach Mike Brown said. "It's tough to try to control a guy who's 7 feet that can play out on the perimeter and have the ball. Especially when he's as good as he is in the pick-and-roll game."

Warriors coach Steve Kerr did not travel with the team as he continues to deal with back issues. He was at Duke University on Friday seeing a specialist and owner Joe Lacob told Bloomberg Radio that Ker had a "spinal cord leak" procedure on his back.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were a combined 7 for 29 from the field and 3 for 15 from 3-point range, leaving Durant to lead the Warriors.

The Jazz led 75-74 early in the fourth quarter, but the Warriors went on a 10-4 run and never trailed again. Curry and Durant hit back to back 3ss to give Golden State a 92-84 lead with 3:04 left.

"I'm going to try to say this as humble as I can, but I've been doing this for so long," Durant said, "and every time I get out the bed and we have a game that day, I feel like I can go out there and score. It's the other things that I try to do - defensively, helping my teammates, get them open shots, moving, setting screens.

"Scoring and stuff is not easy, but it's what I do the best. When I try to do the other things ... I feel like it opens up my scoring a little bit more."

Curry finished with 23 points on 6-for-20 shooting.

Gordon Hayward led Utah with 29 points. Rudy Gobert added 21 points and 15 rebounds.

Game 4 is Monday night in Utah.

"Myself and the other 19,000 people in the arena and everybody watching on TV saw the same thing I saw," Curry said. "It's an easy decision to at that moment (to defer to Durant late). Try to set a screen for him and get him to the right spot and, obviously, he does the rest.

"We're smart enough basketball players to know what's going on at that moment and try to make the right decision and let a talented scorer like he is ... let him do what he does."

The Warriors got out to a quick start, again, and led by 10 after the first quarter.

Utah survived the first-half onslaught by Durant, who had 22 points and six rebounds at the break. There wasn't much the Jazz could do to contend a flurry of turnaround fadeaways, drives to the basket and a pair of 3s. Golden State, however, didn't get much help otherwise and Draymond Green dealt with foul trouble.

The Jazz took a 50-49 lead into halftime after closing the second quarter on a 12-5 run highlighted by Rodney Hood's 3-pointer triple that gave the Jazz their first lead of the series at 48-47.

Green picked up a technical arguing from the bench late in the second quarter after being whistled for his third foul of the half. As the crowd roared, he gave a 2-0 hand gesture to indicate the series record.

The Jazz led by nine in the third quarter, but Curry began to warm up and hit his first 3-pointer of the game on a pull-up in transition. Golden State closed the quarter on a 19-8 stretch to take a 72-70 lead.

"You look at two of the best players in the game and you say they made some unbelievable shots that were timely," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "That's why they're who they are."

TIP-INS

Warriors: Andre Iguodala played his 100th playoff game. ... Curry is alone at No. 8 on the career playoff 3-pointers list (270), surpassing Chauncey Billups. He has hit at least one 3 in all 65 playoff games he's played.

Jazz: Utah continued to have slow starts and shot just 28.6 percent and trailed by 10 at the end of the first quarter. ... The Jazz' first lead of the series came with 1:01 left in the second quarter, nearly 119 minutes. ... Golden State was held under 106 points for the first time this postseason.

HILL OUT

Jazz starting point guard George Hill missed his second consecutive game with a big toe injury. Utah hoped the extra rest would have him ready for Game 3, but he didn't progress enough. Shelvin Mack started in his place.

"It is really just a question of his effectiveness," Snyder said. "There are situations in the game where he lands on it and pushes off and it just aggravates it. It aggravates it to a point where he's just not able to be effective."

Warriors-Jazz Preview

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SALT LAKE CITY -- So far, the Golden State Warriors have lived up to expectations that they would be a postseason juggernaut.

The two-time defending Western Conference champions have not yet tasted defeat in the NBA playoffs. They also have not faced much of a challenge offensively or defensively in their first six games.

Golden State took a 2-0 lead over the Utah Jazz in their Western Conference semifinal series after leading wire-to-wire yet again in a 115-104 victory on Thursday night. Utah will try to get itself back into the series in Game 3 on Saturday in Salt Lake City.

The Warriors have displayed a knack for pouncing on Utah early and quickly digging a hole too deep for the Jazz to climb out of.

Utah endured slow first-quarter starts in Game 1 and Game 2. A second straight slow start on Thursday crippled efforts by the Jazz to rally. They fell behind 33-15 at the end of the first quarter and managed to cut the deficit to six in the fourth quarter before running out of gas.

The Warriors never lost the lead, but Utah forced them to sweat for a while late in the game.

"It wasn't easy," Warriors acting head coach Mike Brown said. "We felt it. We know we can play better. We broke down in a lot of areas where we should have been better. But in the same breath too, we did some nice things. We had 33 assists. We held them to five offensive rebounds. And at the end of the day we got the (win)."

Even while falling short, the Jazz feel they learned a formula for solving the first quarter jinx in Game 3.

Utah came out strong after halftime. The Jazz attacked the rim more frequently instead of settling for contested jumpers on each possession. They forced turnovers and turned a potential blowout into a tighter affair.

"After we got blitzed there in the first quarter -- once we settled in -- we kind of figured it out a little bit," forward Gordon Hayward said. "We figured out how to get into the paint and get some shots for ourselves and some better looks. Our spacing was a lot better. We're going to have to try to take that and move forward with it."

Hayward played the biggest role in bringing Utah back. He scored 33 points on 11-of-21 shooting after going 4 of 15 from the field in the series opener.

His contributions provided added value with starting point guard George Hill sidelined because of a sore toe. Hill is still day-to-day heading into Saturday.

"You're not going to have big windows," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "You got to take advantage of them. I thought he was more aggressive as the game went on, taking his shot and making quick decisions."

Golden State has excelled at playing efficient offense in both games against Utah. The Warriors dished out 33 assists on 42 field goals on Thursday after notching 32 assists on 40 baskets in the series opener. They have shot 49.1 percent from the field through two games.

Four different players are averaging in double figures for the Warriors in the series. Stephen Curry is leading the way with 22.5 points per game.

Defensively, Golden State has forced 14.5 turnovers per game and is averaging 22 points off of turnovers.

The only time the Warriors looked vulnerable on Thursday was when they got away from the formula that works well for them. Lapses on a few possessions on both ends of the court caused some tense moments, something Golden State wants to shore up heading into Game 3.

"We kind of lost our focus there a little bit," forward Draymond Green said. "We turned the ball over, had defensive breakdowns. Just didn't stay locked in. We got to do a better job of that, especially on the road. If you're able to get a lead, you got to try to put the game away."

Green tweaked his left knee in Game 2 and left for a short time before returning in the fourth quarter. He is listed as probable for Saturday.

Utah was 29-12 at home during the regular season but lost two of its three home games in the first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Green shows range, leads Warriors past Jazz for 2-0 lead

By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Now, the Golden State Warriors want Draymond Green to pack his 3-point shot for the altitude of Salt Lake City.

Green showed Quin Snyder his hot hand and range up close, knocking down five 3-pointers and scoring 21 points before a brief knee scare late in the Golden State Warriors' 115-104 victory over the Utah Jazz on Thursday night for a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

"We love that shot. It gives us a huge lift," Stephen Curry said of Green's perimeter touch. "Hopefully that jumper travels when we go to Utah because those shots will be open."

Kevin Durant added 25 points with 13 free throws, 11 rebounds and seven assists, while Curry had 23 points, seven assists and played smothering defense as Golden State stayed unblemished through six playoff games.

Gordon Hayward overcame a poor Game 1 and slow start in this one to score 33 points, and Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 16 rebounds before fouling out for a Jazz team missing injured point guard George Hill. He was ruled out earlier in the day because of a sore left big toe.

Game 3 is Saturday night in Salt Lake City.

Green received chants of "Dray-mond!" when he headed for the locker room with 7:24 to play, then cheers when he returned at the 5:16 mark. He came up awkwardly after hitting the floor on a drive, then grabbed at his left knee - which the team said he "tweaked."

"I knew my knee was just locking up a little bit. I had it before," he said.

Snyder made it clear when the series began he won't be alienating Green again by daring him to let it fly from long range - or saying anything that could be perceived as a slight.

Five months after the Jazz coach commented about allowing the emotional Golden State star to shoot from way out, Snyder said before the game he had learned his lesson about fueling the All-Star forward.

Green has been fueling himself just fine, and his teammates, too - delivering on the offensive side this game after establishing the Warriors' defensive intensity during the first five playoff games.

All his 3s were in the first half as the Warriors led wire to wire again. Golden State's six straight victories to begin a postseason are a franchise record.

Green also had seven rebounds, six assists, four steals and another block to bring his six-game playoff total to 20.

The Jazz will have to hope more of their shots start falling once back home.

Hayward began 1 for 5 but bounced back to shoot 11 of 21 after going 4 for 15 in Game 1.

"We play with attitude when we get down. We have to do it from the beginning," Gobert said. "I think we need to play angry from the first minute."

Utah cut the lead to six on Rodney Hood's jumper with 9:55 remaining in the third and trailed by 10 heading into the final 12 minutes. The Warriors went on a 5-0 run but had a tough time closing it out.

"There's no excuse for that. We're 6-0, you couldn't ask for a better start, but this is the playoffs and we can't let teams get confident," Klay Thompson said. "I thought we did that tonight."

Warriors coach Steve Kerr missed his fourth straight game as he deals with symptoms stemming from complications after two back surgeries following the 2015 championship run. Kerr won't travel with the team to Utah as he seeks answers in his healing and goes to medical appointments. Mike Brown and a veteran coaching staff are leading the way.

"We don't want to rationalize being here because this is the first time we've been in this situation for a while," Snyder said of being down 0-2.

TIP-INS

Jazz: The Jazz managed only 15 first-quarter points on 5-for-18 shooting and missed seven of 10 3-point attempts. ... After a 44-37 rebounding advantage in Game 1, the Warriors led the way on the boards 47-39.

Warriors: Green notched his 11th career 20-point game in the postseason. ... Golden State matched its 2017 postseason high for assists in a half with 19 in the first. ... The Warriors were set to fly about noon Friday then practice upon arrival. ... The Warriors had 17 turnovers after totaling just 24 spanning the previous three games, the team's fewest since 23 over three games in December 1986.

POINT GUARD BY COMMITTEE

Snyder knew the Jazz couldn't pick up Hill's production with one person.

"George's scoring and shot-making ability is something we miss when he's not playing," Snyder said. "It's a shared load. It doesn't really fall to one guy in particular."

Snyder emphasized his guards would have to pick up Green bringing the ball up the floor, saying, "He's like Magic Johnson out there pushing the ball."

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Cold-shooting Jazz try to bounce back against Warriors

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OAKLAND, Calif. -- Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder has a simple solution in mind for what he perceived to be his club's biggest problem in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals Tuesday night.

Shoot better.

"Shooting is a little bit of an equalizer," Snyder said after his team connected on just 46.3 percent of its shots from the field in the 106-94 loss. "I think both teams can shoot better."

Game 2 is Thursday night in Oakland.

It would be impossible for the Jazz to shoot worse than it did at the start of the first and fourth quarters, when they missed all 12 of their shots while getting run 9-0 and 10-0.

Make half those shots and the Jazz finish the game at a respectable 47.8 percent.

Make half those shots, even if none were 3-pointers, and the 12-point difference in the game would have been erased.

Jazz star Gordon Hayward, who was just 4 of 15 and totaled 12 points in the loss, said Golden State's defense only gets some of the credit.

"Kind of what we expected," he said of the Warriors' defensive approach. "We just didn't execute like we wanted ... and missed some shots."

Hayward averaged 23.7 points in the seven-game victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round, shooting 47.7 from the field.

More important for the Jazz, they rebounded from their three losses in the LA series to shoot 52.2, 54.1 and 50.6 percent in the next game, an average improvement of 6.1 percent per game.

The Warriors walked away from the Game 1 win expecting that they hadn't seen the best of the Jazz but also fully understanding they're not a team that usually makes only seven 3-pointers in a game.

Golden State was just 7 of 29 (24.1 percent) on 3s in the opener, with Stephen Curry going 1 of 4 and Andre Iguodala 0 of 6.

"Got up 29 3s," noted Curry, happy with that number. "Hopefully, we'll make a few more next game."

One area in which the Warriors were particularly pleased in Game 1 was in turnovers.

Golden State wound up taking the same number of shots as Utah (82 apiece) despite getting only five offensive rebounds (compared with the Jazz's eight) and getting outrebounded 44-37 overall.

The reason: The Jazz lost seven more possessions than the Warriors in turnovers (14-7), with Golden State taking advantage of those mistakes to score almost one-fifth of their total points (20 of 106).

"Going into the year, that was one of the things that Steve (Kerr) talked about ... winning the possession game," said Mike Brown, the Warriors' acting coach while Kerr deals with physical problems. "We feel like we have enough scoring power that if we lock in defensively and win the possession game, we can probably outscore most of our opponents."

The seven turnovers equaled Golden State's franchise record for fewest in a playoff game.

Despite the fact that Curry sat out a relatively light Warriors practice Wednesday to rest a slightly strained left ankle, neither team reported any injury issues in the wake of Game 1.

That said, Kerr remains out indefinitely. He did not attend Game 1.

After a week off, Curry, Warriors roll past Jazz in Game 1

By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Stephen Curry pulled off a razzle-dazzle spin move right around big Rudy Gobert at the perimeter, went in for a layup and raised his hands, begging the sellout crowd to do its thing.

The Golden State Warriors sure did theirs, using that up-tempo, pass-happy style to run right by the Utah Jazz in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Curry scored 22 points in three quarters of work and the top-seeded Warriors warmed up in a hurry after a weeklong layoff between playoff games, beating the Jazz 106-94 on Tuesday night.

"I'll keep enjoying it. I feel like I have one of the better seats in the house and I'm not even paying for it," fill-in Warriors head coach Mike Brown said when asked about Curry's slick moves.

Draymond Green scored Golden State's first six points of the fourth quarter and wound up with 17 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two more blocks to bring his remarkable five-game playoff swat total to 19.

Kevin Durant added 17 points on an uncharacteristically cold shooting night at 7 for 17 and had five rebounds and five assists. He missed the middle two games against Portland because of a strained left calf then returned for 20 minutes in Game 4. Zaza Pachulia scored 10 points in 14 minutes.

Gobert had 13 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and a Flagrant 1 foul on Green in the fourth for the Jazz, who just finished off the Clippers in a seven-game series Sunday while the Warriors waited after eliminating Portland in a sweep April 24.

"We picked up right where we left off," Curry said. "We weren't clicking making shots early on but our defense really gave us an opportunity to find that flow, and that's what you need in the playoffs."

Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Thursday night back at Oracle Arena, where it was a night of nostalgia as Golden State honored its 2007 "We Believe" team that ended a 13-year playoff drought and stunned Dallas in the first round.

Green insisted it might take the Warriors a quarter or so to find their rhythm as they finally got to play again. They weren't sharp from 3-point range while going 7 for 29, with Klay Thompson making three of those on the way to 15 points.

The methodical, slow-you-down Jazz team making its first playoff appearance in five years couldn't keep pace in transition.

"If you have those moments where you're not urgent enough, they just punish you for it," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said.

The Warriors outscored the Jazz 29-6 on the break and committed only seven turnovers, matching a franchise playoff-low.

"They're a fast-breaking team and we're basically not," Utah's Joe Johnson said.

Brown guided the Warriors as they are missing reigning NBA Coach of the Year Steve Kerr, who wasn't at the arena as he deals with complications from two back surgeries nearly two years ago. He also missed the last two games of the Portland series.

WE BELIEVE

How fitting much of the "We Believe" team was in the house one day shy of the 10-year anniversary of eighth-seeded Golden State's first-round upset of the No. 1 seed Mavericks.

"We all had something to prove. We believed in each other and we wanted each other to prove people wrong," Stephen Jackson said, then added of the current Warriors, "They're way past believin'."

After that, it was Jazz-Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals and Utah won in five games. Current Warriors forward Matt Barnes was part of that team, and he checked in with four minutes remaining to a rousing ovation after being sidelined since April 8 with a sprained right foot and bone bruise.

TIP-INS

Jazz: F Derrick Favors, who was questionable with lower back soreness, came in late in the first. ... Utah missed its initial six shots and fell behind 9-0 before Gobert's three-point play at the 7:48 mark of the first. ... The Jazz held a 44-37 rebounding advantage.

Warriors: Golden State never trailed and all five starters scored in double digits for the second straight playoff game. ... Curry's third-quarter steal broke Rick Barry's record (105) for most in the postseason by a Warriors player. ... Curry also hit his 262nd career postseason 3-pointer, moving past Robert Horry for ninth place on the NBA's all-time list. ... Shaun Livingston, who sprained his right index finger in Game 1 against the Trail Blazers, made a pretty pass to Andre Iguodala for a first-quarter dunk and grabbed at his tender hand afterward. But he played 20 minutes.

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Celtics look like top seed; Warriors rested for surging Jazz

By KYLE HIGHTOWER
AP Sports Writer

BOSTON (AP) For the first time this postseason, there is a calm beginning to settle over the Boston Celtics.

The top-seeded Celtics struggled to find their footing at the outset of their first-round series with Chicago after their leader Isaiah Thomas' sister was killed in a car accident.

But after four straight wins to finish off the Bulls and overcoming a slow start and lost tooth by Thomas to earn a double-digit win over the Wizards in the opener of the East semifinals, Boston now resembles the team it looked like at the end of regular season. It plays Washington in Game 2 on Tuesday night.

In the night's other game, Golden State, the West's top seed, is playing on eight days' rest as it opens its semifinal matchup with Utah. The Jazz are coming off a Game 7 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.

Before Game 1 of the Boston-Washington series, Celtics coach Brad Stevens was asked about the lack of deep playoff experience for a team that hadn't made it out of the first round the past two seasons.

He acknowledged that while experience "certainly is a talking point" when comparing the rosters of the two teams, "there's a lot of power in having some naivet�, too."

His team's production seems to be underlining that assessment.

Following his game-high 33-point effort on Sunday, Thomas now has three 30-point games this postseason after just one in his previous 10 playoff games.

What's more, offseason acquisition Al Horford also is producing at the level the Celtics hoped he would after being slowed by injury in the regular season.

He's coming off 21 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in Game 1, when he recorded his second double-double of the postseason. He has had at least 12 points, five rebounds and five assists in a career-high three straight playoff games.

"I would say probably the last couple weeks of the season is when I felt like I started to get in some sort of a rhythm," Horford said. "Some guys can go right in and just do their thing, and others it takes a little more time before you're fully comfortable with the system and what's expected."

Washington could have a tougher time containing Horford in Game 2. The status of forward Markieff Morris is up the air after he landed awkwardly on Horford's foot and sprained his ankle early in Game 1.

Here are some things to know:

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NEED TO KNOW: Thomas sat out practice Monday so he could visit the dentist and have the tooth he lost in Game 1 repaired. But Stevens said all indications were that Thomas would be ready for Game 2.

KEEP AN EYE ON: The Celtics' lineup. Stevens made an early move to his bench in Game 1, replacing Gerald Green - who had started four straight games - with regular-season starter Amir Johnson. He made another change in the second half, inserting Marcus Smart in the starting group. Smart played 31 minutes, registering six points, four assists, three steals and three blocks. The team was plus-12 with him on the floor.

INJURY UPDATE: Morris received treatment Sunday night and Monday, and sat out the team's practice session. Coach Scott Brooks said his status was game to game at this point, though Morris reiterated his intention to be on the court for Game 2.

"I'm playing tomorrow. That's final," Morris said. "There's nothing that doctors can say to me for me not to be able to play."

PRESSURE IS ON: The Wizards. Washington hasn't won a playoff series in which it was down 0-2 since winning four straight against Chicago in the first round of the 2004-05 playoffs.

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

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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."