NBA Playoffs 2021: Donovan Mitchell drops 37, Jazz nail franchise record 20 3-pointers to outlast Clippers in Game 2 win

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The Clippers fought hard in the second half, taking their lone lead of the game with about six minutes left in the game but the Jazz outlasted them and won Game 2 117-111 to take a 2-0 series lead. 

Donovan Mitchell, coming off a 45-piece in Game 1, scored 37, 27 of which came in a red-hot first half. He was one of five Jazz players to finish in double figures. 

On the other hand, the Clippers only had three in Kawhi Leonard (21), Paul George (27) and Reggie Jackson (29). Here's a quick look at the takeaways:

Clippers battle back after Mitchell spark

Barring the one lead change, the Jazz led for most of this one. At one point, they led by as many as 21 after Mitchell sparked a big run. 

Over an approximate five-minute stretch (last two minutes of the first half + first three of the second half), the 24-year-old sparked a 21-5 run. He scored eight and was responsible for 13 points on that run as Utah went from leading 54-50 to 76-55. 

Although the momentum would have dictated this to be a blowout, the Clippers fought back.

Powered by Reggie Jackson's 16 points in the third quarter, the visitors pulled off a 31-17 the rest of the period to make it a seven-point game heading into the final frame. 

The Clippers then went on a 15-6 run to start the fourth quarter to take their first and only lead of the game, however, their comeback was futile as Jazz seized the control back with a 14-2 run. 

Jazz play to strengths

The Jazz have blitzed teams with balanced offence and efficient volume shooting. Without their starting point guard Mike Conley Jr. in the lineup, Utah did just that and thus, were able to take care of business in Game 2. 

Jordan Clarkson, yet again, was the spark off the bench as he finished with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field in 18 minutes of play. 

Joe Ingles and Bojan Bogdanovic combined for 35 on 12-of-18 shooting while Rudy Gobert pulled down a playoff career-high 20 rebounds to go along with his 13 points, three blocks and two steals. 

Regarding the 3-point shooting, the Jazz outscored the Clippers by 27 from beyond the arc as they knocked down a playoff franchise-record 20 with Mitchell and Clarkson combining for 12 of those. 

Since their Game 1 loss against the Memphis Grizzlies, this is the sixth straight game that the Jazz have knocked down at least 17 3-pointers.

Quiet game of struggles for Clippers stars

The Clippers seem to have found a consistent reliable third scorer in these playoffs in Reggie Jackson, who finished this game with a team-high 29 points, 16 of which came in the third quarter.

However, the team for the second straight game didn't get as much as expected from their superstars in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Leonard finished with 21 points on 8-of-17 (47.1 percent) shooting from the field, which is way off his 2021 playoff average of 31.0 points on 59.5 percent efficiency.

Meanwhile, Paul George scored 27 but went 8-of-18 from the field and had a game-worse plus-minus of -12. The duo combined for seven of the team's 11 turnovers, 

In Game 1, Mitchell outscored the duo 45-43 and in this one, he nearly repeated that feat by scoring 34 while the Clippers duo finished with 40. 

What next? 

The Jazz took care of business, sweeping both games in Salt Lake City but now the series shifts to Los Angeles with Game 3 scheduled for June 12, Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET. 

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