Utah Jazz: Takeaways Leading Into Game 2 Against Clippers

Iso Joe’s Big Night

With Gobert out and Gordon Hayward being hounded by Luc Mbah a Moute into a 7-for-18 shooting night, someone had to step up in order to carry the Jazz offense.

Part of that contribution came from Derrick Favors, who rebounded from recent injury in a big way, scoring 15 points and playing extremely well on defense, but the biggest effort clearly came from Joe Johnson.

The veteran, who had appeared in over 100 playoff games, went for 21 points on ultra-efficient 9-of-14 shooting.

He got his points in a variety of ways, shooting three-pointers off feeds from penetrators, slicing into the lane for floaters and short jumpers, or taking on the mismatched Blake Griffin in isolation.

On the game’s final play, Johnson got matched up on Jamal Crawford off a switch and drove the lane for a tough floater that fell in as time expired, winning the game for Utah just seconds after the Clippers had tied the score at 95.

The ability to perform both in the playoffs and in the clutch was a major reason behind the Jazz’s decision to sign Johnson this summer, as he has a history of just this kind of heroic effort.

Obviously, the 35-year-old Johnson can’t be counted on for this type of outburst every game. Utah will need other players, perhaps Joe Ingles, who had just eight points, or Rodney Hood, who shot just 2-for-7 from the field, to step up.

Still though, it’s nice to see that “Iso Joe” still has it in him. The Jazz should rest assured knowing they have a versatile forward and cold-blooded closer ready to go for whenever they may need him.