In a winner-take-all game, the Clippers came out flat, and were dominated by the Jazz from start to finish.
There really isn’t much to say about this game that hasn’t already been said in previous game recaps. The Clippers’ defense was effective only in very small doses, their offense struggled to generate anything, especially in the halfcourt, and their energy wasn’t great.
The one difference in this game was that Chris Paul was legitimately bad. He shot 6-19 from the field (1-9 in the second half), 1-7 from 3, and was 0-1 from the line. The Jazz stepped up their defense in this one, but Paul missed a bunch of shots that are normally gimme’s for him. It’s hard to be angry at him considering he was fantastic all series, but if he does leave this summer (fingers crossed he doesn’t), this game wasn’t the best to remember him by.
Speaking of forgettable games, JJ Redick was once more invisible (at best), scoring 3 points on 1-5 shooting. He was horrid on defense— the Jazz sought him out every time down the floor. JJ provided one strong game amid six horrible ones, and this underachieving might throw his future on the Clippers into doubt.
Jamal Crawford and Raymond Felton were probably the Clippers’ best players, with Jamal scoring 20 points on efficient shooting, and Felton putting in 6 plus playing tough defense. Both guys left it all on the floor, which is more than can be said about all the Clippers.
DeAndre Jordan’s stats were terrific (24 and 17), but he was outplayed by Derrick Favors almost the entire game, and he didn’t have a positive impact on defense. It was mostly a rough series for DJ after a promising Games 2 and 3.
This could be the last time we see Doc Rivers, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, or J.J. Redick in a Clippers’ jersey. Those guys were all key parts of the best teams in Clippers’ history, and while the ending was rough, all of them are hugely important to the Clippers’ story. If any of them leave, they will be missed.
Luc Mbah a Moute, Brandon Bass, Raymond Felton, Marreese Speights, and Alan Anderson could all be free agents. Luc, Felton, and Speights were all key pieces to the Clippers over the past year (or two in Luc’s case), and it will be tough for the Clippers to retain them.
This was also the last game in the career of Paul Pierce, a first-ballot Hall of Famer. His Clippers’ career didn’t go as planned, but he still deserves a shout-out here.
The full recap will come. After that... it’s time for the offseason!
