Clippers at Jazz
The Los Angeles Clippers bring a five-game winning streak into Wednesday’s contest against Utah when they look to notch their 13th consecutive victory over the Jazz. Los Angeles defeated the Denver Nuggets on Monday and is tied for fourth place in the Western Conference with the Houston Rockets and has also narrowed the gap on third-place Portland. Utah lost to the Boston Celtics on Monday and has dropped six of its last nine contests.
Jazz coach Quin Snyder was displeased with the effort against Boston as his club fell to 8-13 at home. “We didn’t play hard,” Snyder told reporters. “Maybe it’s a little more complicated than that, we played soft as much as anything.” Clippers center DeAndre Jordan has posted four consecutive double-doubles and is averaging 14.5 points on 23-of-26 shooting and collecting 12.5 rebounds during the stretch.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, TWC Prime Ticket (Clippers), ROOT (Utah)
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (31-14): Sixth man Jamal Crawford scored 21 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter against Denver to break out of a shooting slump. Crawford was 20-of-62 from the field over the previous five games, shooting 40 percent or less in each outing. “When I was struggling, my teammates and my coaching staff just told me ‘Keep being aggressive,’ and ‘We believe in you,’” Crawford told reporters. “When you have coaches and teammates like that, it makes the game easier.”
ABOUT THE JAZZ (16-29): Small forward Gordon Hayward is averaging 26.3 points in Utah’s three losses to the Clippers this season and he’s on a hot streak entering this matchup too. Hayward had 26 points in the loss to Boston, marking the third straight contest in which he has scored 24 or more points. He has scored 30 or more points on five occasions this season with one of the times being when he went 4-of-5 from 3-point range and scored 30 points as the Jazz lost to Los Angeles on Nov. 29.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Los Angeles has won its last five road games against Utah.
2. Jazz PG Trey Burke has made 10 3-pointers over the past three games as he adjusts to a bench role.
3. Clippers SF Matt Barnes (abdominal muscle) is uncertain for Wednesday’s game.