Lauri Markkanen scored 35 points and Jordan Clarkson hit a game-winning 3-pointer in the final 30 seconds to lift the Utah Jazz to a 120-118 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night in Salt Lake City.
Paul George scored a game-high 36 points, including 15-for-15 from the free-throw line, and gave the Clippers a one-point lead with two free throws with 41.2 seconds remaining. But Clarkson, who scored 13 on 4-of-13 shooting, hit his trey with 28.9 seconds left to give the Jazz their first win of the season.
Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook missed shots in the final seconds, resulting in the Clippers' 11th straight regular-season loss at Utah. Leonard finished with 25 points and nine rebounds, and L.A. lost despite shooting 53.2 percent from the field.
Markannen hit five 3-pointers and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Utah newcomer John Collins contributed 13 points and 12 boards as the two had their second straight double-doubles of the season.
Kelly Olynyk added 15 points off the bench for the Jazz, including two big 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter.
Despite George's 15 points in the third quarter, Utah's defensive intensity helped it regain an 89-83 lead by the end of the quarter after the Clippers erased most of a double-digit deficit.
The Clippers used consecutive 3s from Norman Powell (20 points) and Leonard followed by a Nicolas Batum dunk to make it 97-95. L.A. continued a 17-4 run to take its first lead of the game, 104-101, thanks to another Batum trey.
Utah regained the lead, 111-109, a couple minutes later after Olynyk drained back-to-back 3-pointers with 3:45 remaining.
After the Clippers regained the lead, Markkanen followed two of his own missed shots to tip in a go-ahead basket. Collins had already accounted for two offensive rebounds on the possession for Utah.
The seesaw contest continued as George hit his foul shots for a 118-117 Clippers lead with 41.2 seconds remaining.
The Jazz opened the second quarter on a 17-6 run after consecutive 3-pointers from Talen Horton-Tucker (two), Markkanen and George, increasing their three-point lead to 50-36.
--Field Level Media
L.A. Clippers | Utah | |
Paul George 36 | Scoring | Lauri Markkanen 35 |
Kawhi Leonard 5 | Assists | Talen Horton-Tucker 8 |
Kawhi Leonard 9 | Rebounds | John Collins 12 |
Paul George 15 | Free Throws Made | Lauri Markkanen 6 |
Robert Covington 2 | Steals | Talen Horton-Tucker 3 |
Nicolas Batum 3 | Blocks | Ochai Agbaji 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
L.A. Clippers | 118 | 53.2 | 14-35 | 22-28 | 17 | 36 | 6 | 8 | 16 |
Utah | 120 | 43.8 | 16-41 | 20-22 | 27 | 45 | 4 | 7 | 14 |