
Los Angeles—Despite the slow start, the Los Angeles Clippers were able to pick up the momentum in the second half, and hand the Jazz their 31st loss of the season.
It wasn’t an exquisite 102-87 victory over Utah, but winning feels much better than losing.
Jamal Crawford led all scorers with 27 points off the bench. Blake Griffin wasn’t too far behind him scoring 25 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
UTAH: The Jazz took advantage of the Clippers lackadaisical and lethargic ways on Saturday night. They shot 51 percent to the Clippers 41 percent in the first half. The Jazz capitalized off of the Clippers unenergetic attitude. At half time the score was tied up 42-42. Although, Utah isn’t in the top eight Western Conference standings, they brought a dose of confidence with them to Los Angeles. They played their hearts out in the first and second quarter of the game, but the Clippers held them to 31 percent in the final two quarters. The Clippers also outrebounded the Jazz 45-42.

FIX IT: The Clippers have one noticeable “flaw” that they can’t seem to get rid of- not playing aggressive basketball for forty-eight minutes. This is something they need to patch up before heading into the All-Star break. Rather it’s defense, offense or lack of energy, it’s interfering with their style of play.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: De Andre Jordan was the life of the party on defense. He only scored 10 points, but his 14 rebounds and three blocks sparked a rally by his teammates. His stamina was contagious. Jordan was one of the reasons the team was able to put an end to Utah’s hopes of beating the Clippers. Jordan has been pretty consistent with his work this season. He’s having the best season of his career. Jordan has also started a streak; he’s had at least 10 rebounds in 27 consecutive games. What a difference a year makes. Jordan most definitely has earned a spot in the 2014 All-Star Game; hopefully the NBA commissioner will vote him in.
BASKETBALL NEVER STOPS: The Clippers will be back in action tonight against the Denver Nuggets. They just concluded an eight-game road trip six day ago, followed by two home games with minimal time off. There is a strong possibility players are jaded. But they have got to find ways to fight through it. The life of a basketball player, it isn’t easy.
Tamara is a graduate of Cal State Los Angeles where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism. Tamara is passionate about covering sports. She has covered the NBA and Major League Baseball routinely for the past several years. A Southern California native, Tamara developed her skills as a sports journalist while working for various Los Angeles-based news publications.