#LOLCity: Jazz 108 – Clippers 79

January 17th, 2012 | by Spencer Hall
Los Angeles Clippers 79 FinalRecap | Box Score 108 Utah Jazz
Paul Millsap, PF30 MIN | 7-11 FG | 6-6 FT | 6 REB | 1 AST | 20 PTS | +22

Shut down Blake Griffin on the defensive and dazzled on the offensive end. Deserved every second of the loud standing ovation from the crowd when he finally checked out of the game. Continuing to play on another level.
Gordon Hayward, SG18 MIN | 0-4 FG | 3-4 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 3 PTS | 0

On a night when everyone on the team was getting buckets, Hayward struggled again. He does a lot of good things away from the ball, but needs to regain some confidence to stay on the floor.
Al Jefferson, C26 MIN | 4-14 FG | 2-2 FT | 13 REB | 4 AST | 10 PTS | +8

Not a great shooting night, but it didn’t matter. Jefferson dominated the middle with his sixth double-double of the season.
Raja Bell, SG29 MIN | 3-8 FG | 1-1 FT | 2 REB | 1 AST | 8 PTS | +17

His quiet line is indicative of the unselfish play from the Jazz. Several possessions included touches by every player. Bell talked about how the trust level is much higher among the teammates compared to past seasons and that sharing the ball is contagious.

Said Raja: “I think we had a good training camp that emphasized defense. There were some clear-cut rules and Ty was pretty specific about what they wanted and what they expected out of us. It’s not unlike a child – If you give them some structure and express what you expect from them, then you can get that done.”
Devin Harris, PG26 MIN | 5-9 FG | 2-2 FT | 1 REB | 4 AST | 13 PTS | +10

Not flashy, but possibly Harris’ best game of the season.
Jamaal Tinsley, PG6 MIN | 1-2 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 2 AST | 2 PTS | +2

Made a nice appearance in garbage time, but did his best work with his post-game wardrobe. Ref: twitpic.com/88k0h1 via @increase_always
Earl Watson, PG18 MIN | 1-1 FG | 1-2 FT | 4 REB | 3 AST | 3 PTS | +20

I hope Earl Watson is buying Jeremy Evans food and sending him small gifts. The only Lob City tonight was the Jazz, led by Watson. Eight dunks by the team on the night, but it felt like 80. Watson and Evans also tied for the team lead in blocked shots with two each.
C.J. Miles, SF29 MIN | 7-13 FG | 4-4 FT | 5 REB | 1 AST | 19 PTS | +26

Another great night from CJ Miles, who scored a season high and helped the Jazz bench outscore the Clippers 54-32. He also tied a career high with 4 steals. He’s also been a model citizen off the bench.
Jeremy Evans, SF17 MIN | 4-4 FG | 1-2 FT | 3 REB | 1 AST | 9 PTS | +9

A simply electric game from Evans. His nine points are a season high, but I tweeted during the game that he’s running on a staunch anti-physics platform, and tonight it was just silly. I asked him how it’s possible that other teams don’t prepare for his patented finish: “I don’t know, I don’t know,” he said with a big smile. “Tonight they did, though. I heard their couch yelling at them to watch the lob, but they still let me go.”
Alec Burks, G19 MIN | 3-9 FG | 5-6 FT | 6 REB | 1 AST | 11 PTS | +12

Alec Burks plays like he’s the go-to guy, and I like it. It’s fun to watch a guy with a scorers mentality (and not a “shooter,” to channel Jerry Sloan.) Burks made great use of his time on the floor.
Enes Kanter, F22 MIN | 4-7 FG | 2-2 FT | 5 REB | 0 AST | 10 PTS | +19

A great night from the young rookie. Games like this are great opportunities for Kanter to work on his game and get some confidence.

Five Things We Saw

  1. Great team effort from top to bottom. The crowd enjoyed every minute and the energy helped the Jazz keep the proverbial foot on the proverbial accelerator.
  2. #LOLcity No CP3 meant the Clippers were still the Clippers. The Jazz continue to feast on teams missing stars, but a win is a win in the NBA. Or anywhere, for that matter.
  3. Blake Griffin is a freak of nature, but he’s rudderless without a solid point guard to set him up. His handle is a bit shaky and Paul Millsap completely neutralized him.
  4. Ty Corbin obviously has to be a candidate for Coach of the Year if this keeps up. He’s built a system, developed trust, and inspired great play from a mish-mash roster. Impressive work, indeed. Absolutely no one predicted the Jazz to be sitting second in the West at this point in the season.
  5. The Jazz continue their strange homestand with games against Dallas on Thursday and against the Pesky Timberwolves on Saturday. Things will get very interesting if/when the Jazz take care of business.

Tinsley working the nerd-chic before the game. From his twitter feed: http://twitpic.com/88k0h1

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