The Los Angeles Clippers beat Utah Jazz (131-119) on Friday, after falling 22 points at the break (72-50). By four wins to two, the Californians dismissed the best team of the regular season and advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in their history.
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Four straight wins against Utah
In more than one respect, it is a real feat achieved by the Clippers who are certainly still far from a first NBA championship title, but who have broken a spell, they who had long attached a sign on their backs. of losers, by dint of rhyme ambition with disappointment in the play-offs.
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Mann hovers with 39 points
And, like the previous Jazz game, the Clippers played Friday’s game without their best player, Kawhi Leonard, injured in his right knee and whose length of absence is indefinite. This tour de force was notably due to Terance Mann (24 years old), established for the occasion and who walked on the water with 39 points (15/21 shooting including 7/10 with three points).
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The rear of the Clippers was the executioner of Jazz, who had started the match well and therefore led clearly at the break, in the wake of a Donovan Mitchell, over-motivated and very efficient, since he also scored 39 points , thanks in particular to a 9/15 behind the arc.
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Batum participates in the qualification
But the Clippers were able to react with a tenfold pride and inflicted a 41-22 on their opponent in the third quarter, before driving the nail in the last 12 minutes (40-25), finding in Paul George (29 points ) and Reggie Jackson (28 pts) decisive offensive weapons. Nicolas Batum also contributed to his team’s victory and qualification, scoring 16 points and taking seven rebounds.
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Opposite, except Mitchell, Jordan Clarkson and Royce O’Neale brought 21 points each, but it took more to snatch a seventh game. Rudy Gobert, for his part, scored 12 points and took 10 rebounds. He will have to wait at least one more season, before knowing a conference final in his NBA career.
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