LA Clippers follow ideal blueprint behind Kawhi Leonard and Paul George vs. Utah Jazz
When a plan comes together perfectly, it's a sight to behold.
That's the sentiment floating around the LA Clippers after Kawhi Leonard & Co. ran out to an early lead and never looked back to even their Western Conference semifinals series 2-2 against the Utah Jazz on Monday night.
Buoyed by Leonard and Paul George, who each had 31 points in the 118-104 win, LA also got a lift from Marcus Morris Sr. to run out to a 30-13 lead after the first 12 minutes.
That trio accounted for all of LA's first-quarter points, with 12 for Leonard, 11 for Morris and seven for George.
The 31-year-old Morris kept his hot hand through the first half, too, heading into the break with a game-high 22 points on 6-for-8 shooting, including 5-for-5 from beyond the arc.
Up by 24 points heading into the half, the Clippers built a cushion that not even a 37-point outing from Jazz superstar Donovan Mitchell could reasonably threaten — especially with starting point guard Mike Conley still unavailable.
As Shannon Sharpe put it on "Undisputed," there was no coming back for Utah after the way LA came out early and was allowed to settle into a groove.
"The Clippers never really looked back after that," Sharpe said. "Yeah … over the next three quarters, Utah averaged over 30 points a quarter, but the damage had already been done."
The Clippers' hot shooting start is what ultimately gave them the cushion they needed.
LA was 6-for-12 in the first quarter from 3 – the Jazz were 1-for-6 – and the Clippers were 5-for-10 from deep in the second quarter. Utah was 7-for-16.
To Nick Wright of "First Things First," it was a picture-perfect blueprint for the Clippers.
They got firepower from their star duo and a massive contribution from their deep bench, and they kept the Jazz at bay on the defensive side of the ball.
And it's not just the players getting it done for LA, either.
Chris Broussard reserved special praise for Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue.
"Whether it's changing the starting lineup, changing the rotation," Broussard said of Lue's adjustments. "… And he's not afraid to bench some of the strongest personalities on the team. It was Pat Beverley last series, and this series it's Rajon Rondo."
All-time, in the regular season, Lue has a record of 175-108 as a coach, a .618 winning percentage. But after last night's Game 4, Lue is 47-25 in the playoffs, a .653 winning percentage, a sign that he does his best coaching when the stakes are highest.
Put it all together, and the Clippers could have the makings of a championship-caliber team.
That's where Skip Bayless said he sees LA after Game 4.
The series heads back to Utah for Game 5 on Wednesday, with Game 6 slated for Friday in Los Angeles before a return to Salt Lake City on Sunday for Game 7, if necessary.
Beyond this back-and-forth series loom the Phoenix Suns, eagerly waiting to find out whom they'll face in the Western Conference finals.
We'll have an answer by the end of the week, either way.
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