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In Game 2 of the Western Conference semi-finals in the 2021 NBA playoffs, the Utah Jazz will take on the LA Clippers at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. In a closely-contested series opener, the Jazz beat the Clippers 112-109.
A game-winning block by Rudy Gobert sealed the deal for the Utah Jazz, in what was arguably one of the best defensive plays in the ongoing playoffs so far. The Jazz will now look to win another game at home to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the semi-final series.
Match Details
Fixture - LA Clippers vs Utah Jazz | Game 2, 2021 NBA Playoffs.
Date & Time - Thursday, June 10th, 2021; 10:00 PM ET (June 11th, 7:30 AM IST).
Venue - Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT.
Utah Jazz Preview
The Utah Jazz surged late in the game and outscored the LA Clippers 65-49 in the second half to take the series opener. The Jazz managed to win despite missing their point guard Mike Conley.
Conley is suffering from a hamstring injury, and there is no fixed date on his return. Meanwhile, Jordan Clarkson showed why he is deserving of the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award. He dropped 18 points off the bench, the second-highest in the team, along with six three-pointers.
Joe Ingles had an abysmal outing, shooting just 3-12 (25%) from the field, including 1-8 (12.5%) from the three-point range, eventually ending the night with just eight points.
The Jazz survived, thanks to Donovan Mitchell's 45-point outing, but Ingles certainly needs to fare better if the Jazz wish to win three more games in this series. Rudy Gobert had a double-double, registering ten points and 12 rebounds along with two blocks.
Key Player - Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell dropped a monstrous 45 points on 16-30 (53%) shooting from the field in Game 1. He also had five assists, three rebounds, a steal and a block.
The LA Clippers defense scrambled to stop Spida, but he evaded them with ease and put on a show for his home crowd. Mitchell registered his fourth 40-point playoff game, tying Karl Malone for the most such outings in the Utah Jazz's history. Malone played 193 playoff games, whereas Mitchell has only played 27.
Utah Jazz Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Joe Ingles | Shooting Guard - Donovan Mitchell | Small Forward - Bojan Bogdanovic | Power Forward - Royce O'Neale | Center - Rudy Gobert.
LA Clippers Preview
The LA Clippers led for most of Game 1 until the Utah Jazz leveled the scores at the end of the third quarter. The Clippers couldn't hang on to their lead, as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George went cold.
The LA Clippers also had no answers for Mitchell and Gobert, who got their way in the paint. Meanwhile, Tyronn Lue finally gave Luke Kennard key minutes; the latter played 29 minutes and shot 7-9 from the field, Kennard made 4-6 three-pointers, ending with 18 points.
DeMarcus Cousins was installed in the lineup to help the team in the paint, but he played only four minutes. Ivica Zubac played 20 minutes off the bench and gave the LA Clippers 11 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks.
Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard had a team-high 23 points on 9-19 shooting, along with seven rebounds, three assists and a steal, and made just one three-pointer. Nevertheless, the entire team will have to perform much better if they wish to beat a high-volume three-point shooting team like the Utah Jazz.
Key Player - Paul George
Paul George faced 'Pandemic P', 'Playoff P' and 'overrated' chants all night at the Vivint Arena in Game 1. He shot 4-17 (23%) from the field and was unable to buy a bucket down the stretch, although he did have ten rebounds and two assists.
Nevertheless, George is the key player in this series, and the LA Clippers' chances of progress to the Conference finals depend on his performances. He is the second All-Star in the team, apart from Kawhi Leonard, and needs to complement the efforts of the latter.
LA Clippers Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Reggie Jackson | Shooting Guard - Paul George | Small Forward - Kawhi Leonard | Power Forward - Nicolas Batum | Center - Marcus Morris Sr.
Clippers vs Jazz Match Prediction
The Utah Jazz are the favorites to win Game 2, due to their superior three-point shooting prowess.
The Jazz have made a remarkable 16.9 threes per game as a team this season, blowing away opponents with their spacing. Moreover, with 18,000 fans cheering them on, the Jazz will fancy their chances of going 2-0 up in the series.
Meanwhile, the LA Clippers need to do everything they can to level the series at 1-1, or else they could struggle against the Jazz.
Where to watch the Clippers vs Jazz game?
Game 2 of the Western Conference semi-finals between the LA Clippers and the Utah Jazz in the 2021 NBA playoffs will be televised nationally on ESPN. The match can also be streamed live with an NBA League Pass.
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