LA Stuns Utah in OT

Something about Salt Lake City has brought out the best basketball in Paul Pierce this season.

Back in December, in his Los Angeles Clippers’ lone visit to Utah before Friday night, The Truth totaled a season-best 20 points on 5-of-7 shooting from three. A similar tune rang Friday, as he poured in 18 points on 4-of-5 shooting from deep. This time, Paul’s efforts helped push an L.A. squad that was playing without six players from the regular rotation to a 102-99 overtime victory.

Paul got his 37th start of the season as Chris Paul, J.J. Redick, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan all earned a night of rest, while Austin Rivers (ankle) and Wesley Johnson (foot) sat with injuries. Despite the absence of so many important players, the Clippers weren’t discouraged.

“We could’ve just said, ‘You know what, we’ve got six guys out, let’s just get through this one and get home,’ ” Cole Aldrich said. “For us to come in here and just continue to fight the way we did shows character.”

Of the nine players the Clippers had active, five in scored double figures including Paul. Jamal Crawford led the way with 30 points, while Aldrich had 21 to go with 18 boards. Jeff Green came off the bench to score 18 points, including 10 in a critical fourth quarter and point guard Pablo Prigioni tallied 13 points along with a game-high seven assists.

“Last year we were pretty limited, and this year we’re almost too deep, if that’s possible,” coach Doc Rivers. “There’s going to be a good player or two that probably don’t play a lot in the playoffs.”

Paul came out ready to conquer. Early in the first, he swiped a steal before and took it at the basket on the other end for a driving layup, putting L.A. up, 7-2. On the Clippers’ next possession, he hit a fadeaway jumper before Aldrich stole another opportunity from the Jazz. That steal allowed Paul to dish ahead to Prigioni, who finished with another running layup to make it 11-4.

Utah struggled to contain the ball, surrendering 25 points off 18 turnovers. L.A. led by as many as 10 in the first, but Trevor Booker knocked down a trey to close the quarter with Utah up 26-25.

Utah’s Alec Burks opened the second with another three, but The Truth answered with his own trifecta to bring the Clippers back to within one. Still Utah kept attacking and stretched their lead to as many as 11. However, the wily L.A. club kept chipping away. Paul drained another triple to get the Clips within seven, 48-41. Then moments before halftime, No. 34 buried a midrange jumper to get the Los Angeles within five, 52-47 at halftime.

In the second half, The Truth picked up right where he left off, hitting a triple less than a minute-and-a-half into the third quarter that trimmed the deficit to just two. Later in the frame, No. 34 buried another trey to flip the game in the Clippers’ favor. His second three but L.A. in front with a lead they wouldn’t relinquish for the rest of the quarter. Paul also amplified his defensive presence in the third frame, swiping two steals to keep the Jazz on their toes.

The Clippers took a four-point edge into the fourth quarter, but back-to-back buckets by Burks helped the Jazz regain an advantage. The lead changed hands three more times before Aldrich’s layup locked the game at 94 to forced an extra period. Burks hit his third triple to open overtime but Aldrich responded with a hook shot and moments later the L.A. big man dished to Green for a triple to put Los Angles back in front, 99-97. Rodney Hood knotted the game at 99 with 2:21 remaining, and for a few minutes it appeared the game would go another extra period.