Jazz Fall In Overtime To Clippers In Regular Season Finale
Apr 10, 2019, 11:19 PM
Landry Shamet #20 of the LA Clippers scores past Georges Niang #31 of the Utah Jazz during the first half at Staples Center on April 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Utah Jazz dropped their regular season finale with a 143-137 overtime loss to the LA Clippers.
The game itself had no implications on the upcoming playoffs as both the Jazz and Clippers were locked into their seeding positions. Utah had the fifth seed secured while LA was set to be the eighth seed.
Other games in the NBA determined Utah’s first-round playoff matchup. Denver beat Minnesota and Portland defeated Sacramento to establish the Houston Rockets as the Jazz’s opponent in the first round of the postseason.
Playoff tickets are live. Join us.#TakeNote
🎟» https://t.co/3z78G0jQtj pic.twitter.com/qg4eNfjTkN— x – Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) April 2, 2019
Jazz Rest Key Players
The Jazz started the game with mostly a group of players that usually come off the bench. Usual starter Joe Ingles was in the starting five and was joined by Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, Jae Crowder and Ekpe Udoh. Several Jazz players, including Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, were given the night off.
The game itself had no implications on the upcoming playoffs as both the Jazz and Clippers were locked into their seeding positions. Utah had the fifth seed secured while LA was set to be the eighth seed.
With many key players in street clothes on the bench, the Jazz trailed early with the Clippers building a lead as large as 17.
GO AHEAD AND CALL HIM SNEAKY ATHLETIC WE'D ALLOW IT THIS ONCE pic.twitter.com/GHoYIeLKvH
— x – Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) April 11, 2019
Jae Crowder took the opportunity to be Utah’s main scoring option and had a strong performance with 11 points in the first quarter.
Still, the Jazz, playing several players like Naz Mitrou-Long, Tony Bradley and Tyler Cavanaugh, who spent most of the year with the Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA G League, kept battling. After trailing 39-26 after the first quarter, the team exploded for a 40-point quarter in the second to cut LA’s lead to just four at halftime.
Thanks to a 3-pointer by Grayson Allen near the beginning of the second half, the Jazz took their first lead since the opening minutes of the first quarter with the score at 71-70.
The two teams played back and forth action that culminated in a 128-all tie at the end of regulation.
📹| @kristenkenney catches up with Donovan on the sidelines ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/bC8DzGC805
— x – Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) April 11, 2019
The Clippers made a quick run to start the extra period and that was that as they rolled to the win.
With the loss, Utah’s regular season will end with a record of 50-32.
Allen Shines In Final Game Of Regular Season
Playing a ton of minutes for really the first time in his young career, the rookie Allen had the best night of his first season in the league. The former Duke star racked up a career-high 40 points in 40 minutes on 11-of-30 shooting.
That's 4️⃣0️⃣ for Grayson#TakeNote | #NBARooks pic.twitter.com/ER6RsnphEc
— x – Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) April 11, 2019
Georges Niang also had a career night with 24 points.
Ekpe Udoh, who has largely been in a reserve role for the Jazz this season, completed a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds.
Montrezl Harrell led the Clippers with 24 points off the bench.
Next Up
The Jazz know they’ll be playing the Rockets in the first round but they don’t yet know when.
The time and dates for the first round of the playoffs have not yet been announced.
