The LA Clippers pulled off an emphatic 25-point comeback win against the Utah Jazz on Friday night to win their Western Conference Semifinals series 4-2. Ty Lue’s men shot 71.4% from the field in the second half to record a 131-119 victory that secured the first-ever Conference Finals berth for the franchise in NBA history.
The Utah Jazz exorcized their shooting demons from the previous matchup to start blazing hot from the field yet again. Both Donovan Mitchell and Jordan Clarkson seemed unstoppable as the Jazz sprinted to a 72-50 lead by halftime.
Most fans assumed that the LA Clippers would waive the white flag, especially considering they had the cushion of a Game 7. But the hosts had their own plans. The likes of Terance Mann, Reggie Jackson and Paul George all rose to the occasion to help their side finish the job.
Without further ado, let’s look at five reasons why the LA Clippers beat the Utah Jazz in Game 6.
#1 LA Clippers shoot lights out from downtown in the second half
The LA Clippers gave up 12 three-pointers to the Utah Jazz in the first half, but after the break, it was their time to fire back. Ty Lue’s men moved the ball well and created good looks from beyond the arc to shoot 14-of-19 from range in the second half.
The hosts eventually outscored the Utah Jazz 81-47 in the last two quarters of the game. Terance Mann was the wrecker-in-chief, but Patrick Beverley also got into the act late in the fourth quarter to close out the game for the LA Clippers.
#2 Terance Mann torches Utah Jazz with a historic performance
Terance Mann made the headlines in Game 5 for a poster dunk on Rudy Gobert, but tonight, he pulverized the Utah Jazz defense from everywhere on the court. Mann got off to a quick start and scored 12 points in the first quarter, but couldn’t carry that rhythm into the second. The real Mann stood up after the break, though.
Terance Mann went on a scoring tear and dropped 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting in the third quarter. His burst allowed the LA Clippers to go on a 17-0 run that created the inroads the hosts needed to mount a comeback. Mann finished with 39 points on 15-of-21 shooting, his highest tally ever across college and NBA games.