It only took 11 seconds for reality to set in: The Utah Jazz would be without Rudy Gobert. The potential Defensive Player of the Year crawled up-court on all fours after banging knees with Luc Mbah a Moute early in the first quarter, unable to get to his feet under his own power.
The Clippers’ 97-95 loss to a battered Jazz team was embarrassing
Without Rudy Gobert, the Jazz still downed a Clippers team expected to finally make a playoff run.
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
He was later carried to the locker room, never to return, diagnosed with a hyperextension and bone bruise in his left knee.
But even without Gobert, their leading shot-blocker, rebounder and third-leading scorer, the Jazz survived a late-game Clippers rally, 97-95, and watched Joe Johnson bury their opponent with a game-winning floater. Had it not been for Chris Paul’s fourth-quarter heroics, scoring 10 straight points down the stretch, the Jazz would have run away in the final period behind Johnson and Gordon Hayward’s crunch time scoring.
This was against a Los Angeles team supposedly taking a step toward contention this season.
A series loss for the Clippers could be the end of an era for a team that has consistently failed to meet expectations over the past few seasons. But losing to a Utah team without Gobert is an indictment on many levels.
The Jazz didn’t have more talent on the floor than the Clippers. The played a hobbled Derrick Favors for 32 minutes, as he huffed and puffed his way up and down the court, and even he scored 15 points despite an apparent foot injury.
Utah did, however, have more heart than Los Angeles. For a team with two perennial All-Stars, a first-time All-Star in DeAndre Jordan, and the requisite supporting cast the Clippers possess, their Game 1 fumble reeked of discord.
The undermanned Jazz simply outplayed the Clippers on Saturday. And Doc Rivers got flat-out out-coached by Snyder, as Utah fought off a flurry of Los Angeles comeback efforts down the stretch.
Yes, Austin Rivers is out with a hamstring injury. And yes, Rivers has emerged as a solid combo guard having a career year with the Clippers. But without Gobert patrolling the paint, Los Angeles was supposed to put a fork in a Jazz team missing the biggest piece to their game plan.
The Clippers were unable to do that.
It’s unclear how long Gobert will be out for. He could miss another game, if not more. But if the Clippers can’t handle a Jazz team without a rim protector, how are they supposed to compete with Golden State Warriors in the second round?
And given their struggles against Utah on Saturday, it might be worth second guessing whether the Clippers will even make it out of the first round this time around.
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