Terance Mann Erupts for 39 as Clippers Stage Epic Game 6 Rally to Eliminate Jazz
AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
Terance Mann scored a career-high 39 points, Paul George added 28 and Reggie Jackson dropped a 27-point, 10-assist double-double as the Los Angeles Clippers overcame a 25-point deficit to eliminate the visiting Utah Jazz from the playoffs with a 131-119 victory in Game 6 of their second-round postseason series on Friday at Staples Center.
The Clippers will be playing in the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history after winning the best-of-seven series four games to two.
The season is over for the 52-20 Jazz, who finished with the league’s best regular-season record.
Utah led 75-50 after Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell’s three-pointer opened the second-half scoring, but Mann soon caught fire, scoring 20 third-quarter points. L.A. had 11-0 and 17-0 runs in the third to cut Utah’s lead to 94-91 by the frame’s end.
In the fourth quarter, Mann and George scored all the points in a 9-0 Clipper run to give L.A. a 116-106 edge. Utah eventually slashed the lead to 118-114, but Los Angeles responded with a Jackson layup and a Patrick Beverley three-pointer to keep Utah at arm’s length. Beverley later hit another three for a 128-118 lead to put the final nail in Utah’s coffin.
L.A. scored 81 second-half points and had 31 points off turnovers to Utah’s four. The Clippers also outscored the Jazz 21-7 on the fast break and hit 20-of-39 three-pointers, with Mann knocking down 7-of-10.
