Utah Jazz: Takeaways Leading Into Game 2 Against Clippers

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Apr 15, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; LA Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) dribbles on the baseline on Utah Jazz center Boris Diaw (33) in the first quarter in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports /

The Utah Jazz fought hard in order to take Game 1 against the Los Angeles Clippers on the road. What can we take away from their efforts going forward?

Despite all types of adversity, the Utah Jazz started their first playoff run since 2012 off with a bang, winning Game 1 in exciting fashion. They dispatched the Los Angeles Clippers by a score of 97-95 at the Staples Center thanks to a game-winning floater from Joe Johnson.

The game stayed fairly close early, with the score all knotted up at 52 at halftime, and it would remain so the rest of the way, with no team taking a lead larger than eight points.

Johnson led the charge for the Jazz with 21 points, with Gordon Hayward, George Hill, and Derrick Favors each chipping in more than 15 each.

Quin Snyder went deep onto his bench in using a 10-man rotation, while Doc Rivers put forth only eight players, discounting Paul Pierce‘s two-minute stint.

On the Los Angeles side, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul combined for 51 points, with only DeAndre Jordan (10) reaching double figures elsewhere on their roster.

As the series moves on, the Jazz can expect to meet an extremely motivated Clipper team Tuesday night, for dropping another game at home would almost surely mean the death of their playoff hopes.

Many trends and issues emerged from Game 1 that will likely dictate how the series progresses on Tuesday and beyond.

As for what those are, let’s get into it!