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The Clippers hope to bounce back tonight from a dismaying Game 1 loss. Can they secure a homecourt split?
How To Watch:
Date/Time: Tuesday, April 18th, 2017 at 10:30 PM Pacific/7:30 PM Eastern
Venue: STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, CA
Officials: Monty McCutchen (#13), Kane Fitzgerald (#5), Pat Fraher (#26)
TV: Prime Ticket (LA area), TNT (national), ROOT Sports (Utah area)
Radio: 1150 AM KEIB/1330 AM KWKW
Probable Starters:
Los Angeles Clippers: Chris Paul, J.J. Redick, Luc Mbah a Moute, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan
Utah Jazz: George Hill, Joe Ingles, Gordon Hayward, Boris Diaw, Rudy Gobert
Key Reserves:
Los Angeles Clippers: Raymond Felton, Jamal Crawford, Marreese Speights
Utah Jazz: Rodney Hood, Joe Johnson, Derrick Favors
Injuries:
Los Angeles Clippers: Austin Rivers (OUT)
Utah Jazz: Rudy Gobert (OUT)
More Reading:
Clips Nation’s Game 2 Preview by Thomas Wood
Clip Chat: Recapping Game 1/Previewing Game 2 with SLC Dunk by Robert Flom with guest AllThatAmar, managing editor of SLCDunk.com
The Lob, The Jam, The Podcast: Not a Good Start hosted by Shapan Debnath with Robert Flom and Adithya
Locked on Clippers Podcast: Clippers Lose Homecourt Advantage with Lucas Hann
Game 1 Recap: Clippers Fail to Capitalize by Davey Bales
The Clippers Shouldn’t Need an April Wake-Up Call by Lucas Hann
Clips Nation’s Series Preview by Lucas Hann (notes from Steve Perrin, graphics by Adithya)
Clips Nation Staff Picks compiled by Lucas Hann and Adithya
A Guide to Hating The 2016-17 Utah Jazz by Matt Heller
Utah Jazz vs Los Angeles Clippers: Head-to-head Playoff History by AllThatAmar
From elsewhere on the Internet today: USA Today’s Sam Amick spoke to Doc Rivers, who says he’ll do whatever it takes to keep the Clippers’ core (Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan) together this summer. Some of Doc’s quotes from the piece:
“Here's my argument to (the question of whether all that luxury tax is worth it),” Rivers, who is three years into a five-year deal worth more than $50 million, told USA TODAY Sports recently. “Let's say we don't win this year — which I think we will, (but) let's say we don't. Do you give up on a 50-win team that has proven that they're really close (to winning it all), or do you hang in there and keep trying to maybe make changes around (the core)?
“I always use Utah as a great (example). Thank God Karl Malone and (John) Stockton didn't listen to people, you know what I mean? They fell (in the playoffs), and kept trying and kept trying. And finally, late in their careers, they finally broke through to the Finals. They didn't win it (all). But you know, that's the pursuit. I just think it's so easy to (say), 'Hey, they should break up,' from the outside. And I think that's such an easy opinion.”
“I think from a front office perspective, we passed that (offseason test) with flying colors, you know?” Rivers said. “With Raymond (Felton) and Austin and Jamal (all signing), Chris has been surrounded (by other guards). He doesn't have to guard the best guy every night. He hasn't had to do all the ballhandling duties all year. So in a lot of ways, we've done that with Chris and that's why we did it.
“From a GM standpoint, and a president (of basketball operations) standpoint, you're thrilled for (Austin, who signed a three-year, $35 million deal), for the franchise, because it turned out to be a good move for us (Rivers, who has yet to play in the postseason because of a hamstring injury, averaged 12 points and 2.8 assists per game while setting career-highs in shooting percentage). Having said that, I have the same pride, like, in Raymond. Raymond had a great year for us. The numbers may not show that, but he has been absolutely wonderful for us. Mo Speights (too). So we've had a pretty good summer, with minimum contracts in some cases. But now, you shorten your rotations, and now the time is where everyone — like I said yesterday — the playoffs come down to the great players playing great, and the role players playing a role and doing a great job at that. When you do that, you usually have some success.”
The Rest of Tuesday’s Slate:
Milwaukee Bucks vs Toronto Raptors, Game 2, 4:00 PM PDT/7:00 PM EDT, NBA TV
Chicago Bulls vs Boston Celtics, Game 2, 5:00 PM PDT/8:00 PM EDT, TNT