Crawford Scores 30, Including Game-Winner In OT To Lead Clippers
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jamal Crawford made a 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds left and finished with 30 points in the Los Angeles Clippers' 102-99 overtime victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday night.
Cole Aldrich added 21 points and 18 rebounds — both season highs — and Paul Pierce and Jeff Green each added 18 points to help Los Angeles win for the eighth time in nine games. The Clippers (51-28) rested four of their usual starters and played just nine players.
Gordon Hayward had 24 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Jazz. Shelvin Mack and Rodney Hood each scored 13 points, and Derrick Favors had 11 points and 11 rebounds. Utah (39-40) lost its second straight game, complicating its bid to clinch one of the final playoff spots in the Western Conference.
After trailing the entire second quarter, Los Angeles finally charged back in front after halftime behind a flurry of 3-pointers. The Clippers went 5 of 7 from outside over the first six minutes of the third quarter. Crawford finished off the flurry with back-to-back 3-pointers, giving his team a 68-58 lead over Utah.
Hayward sparked another Jazz rally with a buzzer beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter. Alec Burks followed by driving for layup and drilling another 3-pointer to put Utah back on top 77-76.
After the Clippers went up 85-79 behind a trio of baskets from Green, Utah used a 13-0 run to overtake Los Angeles and go up 92-85 with 4:07 left. Mack and Hood highlighted the run with back-to-back 3-pointers that put the Jazz ahead.
Los Angeles twice cut the deficit to two in the final minute of regulation and finally tied it on Aldrich's putback layup with 2.4 seconds left.
Utah did not take its first lead of the game until Trevor Booker beat the first quarter buzzer with a corner 3-pointer and Burks drained another corner three to open the second quarter to put the Jazz up 29-25.
It fell on the Clippers to spend an entire quarter trying to dig out of a hole like the Jazz had done earlier. Utah complicated things by using a 13-2 run - punctuated by back-to-back baskets from Hayward -- to go up 45-34.
TIP INS
Jazz: Reserve guard Alec Burks returned to action for the first time after missing 50 games with a fractured left fibula. Burks finished with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting — including 3 of 3 from 3-point range — in 12 minutes. ... Jazz forward Gordon Hayward finished with his fourth double-double of the season while forward Derrick Favors collected his 19th double-double.
Clippers: Four starters (Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, J.J. Redick) did not play because Los Angeles decided to rest them against Utah. ... Pablo Prigioni scored a season-high 13 points. It is the first time he has reached double figures this season. ... The Clippers scored 25 points off 18 Jazz turnovers.
UP NEXT
Jazz: Visit Denver on Sunday.
Clippers: Host Dallas on Sunday.
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