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The Clippers End Historic Run for the Utah Jazz

Utah's nine-game winning streak came to an end on Friday night against the Clippers.

First quarter

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The Utah Jazz were on a historic run. They had won 20 of their last 21 games - tied for the best 21-game stretch in franchise history. The run came to an end on Friday night when the Utah Jazz lost 112-116 to the LA Clippers.

With one minute remaining in the game, the Jazz were on a 6-0 run. Still down seven points, the Jazz needed a stop to keep their slim hopes of a comeback alive. Rudy Gobert forced a Kawhi Leonard miss, but Leonard managed to come up with the offensive rebound. The Clippers missed again, but the rebound? Who else but Kawhi Leonard. That sequence drained the clock and sealed the victory for the Clippers - it was also a microcosm for the game. For the first 47 minutes of the game, the Clippers were a step faster and wanted it just a little more. The Clippers held on to win even when Donovan Mitchell scored eight points in the final 40 seconds.

Those eight points were part of a 29-point second half for Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell led all scorers with 35 points.

The first quarter made all the difference - the Clippers outscored the Jazz 31-23. The Clippers came out firing on the defensive end. Their length and quickness gave the Jazz offense a lot of problems in the first quarter. When the Jazz put together a few runs of their own, the Clippers responded each and every time.

The loss dropped the Jazz to 24-6 on the season. Even after the loss, the Jazz sit atop the Western Conference standings with a two-game lead over the LA Lakers.

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