Why the Utah Jazz season ended prematurely: The Clippers shot the ball well. Very well
This isn’t too much of a shock because the Clippers were the most efficient 3-point shooting team in the league and were one of the best offenses in the league. But over the six-game series, the Clippers shot 50 percent from the field against the number one half-court defense in the league (Someone punch me in the gut, please).
The Clippers went 97-of-224 from 3 (43.5%), including an absurd 35-of-64 from 3 in Games 5 and 6. The Clippers put up 130 offensive rating in Game 5, and then followed that up with an insane 148 offensive rating in Game 6, a contest where they put up 81 points in the second half.
Paul George shot 42 percent from 3 and seemed unbothered by whatever Utah was throwing at him. Reggie Jackson, a career 34 percent 3-point shooter coming into this season, shot 50 percent from 3. Terrence Mann, a player that seemed afraid to shoot at many times during the season, shot 48 percent from 3, went off for 39 points in Game 6, and flat out disrespected Gobert with some dunks at the rim. Nic Batum shot 51 percent from 3 for the series, Luke Kennard shot 55 percent from 3 — heck, even Patrick Beverley with his limited offensive shot a respectable 37 percent from the arc.
It wasn’t as if the Jazz were not shooting well also – Utah went 40 percent from 3 for the series. Donovan Mitchell shot 45 percent from 3, Bojan Bogdanovic shot 47 percent, Jordan Clarkson shot 43 percent, and Joe Ingles shot 46 percent.
The Clippers finished the series with 130 offensive rating during this series, while the Jazz managed to post a 120-offensive rating. This series was an offensive onslaught from both teams – and the Jazz got outgunned.