Staff Reporter.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George combined for 65 points as the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Utah Jazz to give themselves hope in the NBA play-offs.
The Clippers were under pressure, having lost the opening two games of the Western Conference semi-finals series.
But they recovered for a 132-106 home win with game four to come on Monday.
“I need my two best players to be able to do that,” said Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue.
“They set the table for everyone else.”
Leonard finished with 34 points and 12 assists and George had 31 against the top-seeded team, who finished the regular season with 52 wins.
The Jazz were without guard Mike Conley, who sat out his third game in a row with a sore hamstring while Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points but missed the final seven minutes after turning his right ankle.
Swipe ➡️ Slam pic.twitter.com/Vy7MlyohqY
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) June 13, 2021
Mitchell was pleading with Jazz coach Quin Snyder during the latter portion of the Los Angeles run to let him go back into the game but was turned down. He joined Utah legend Karl Malone as the lone players in franchise history to score at least 30 points in five straight postseason contests. Malone did it six straight times (three in 1995, three in 1996).
But the 24-year-old expects to be fit to return on Monday.