With the odds stacked against them following Kawhi Leonard’s injury, the LA Clippers dug deep to eke out a 119-111 win against the Utah Jazz in Game 5. Tyronn Lue’s men now have the chance to close out this Western Conference Semifinals series at home after taking a 3-2 lead.

The Utah Jazz were red-hot from downtown to start the game, but the LA Clippers responded well as the first quarter finished 37-36 in the hosts’ favor. Both teams exchanged equal blows in the second as well.

It’s the third quarter where the tide turned. The LA Clippers held their ground defensively and outscored the Jazz 32-18. From there onwards, it was just a case of staying the course and the visitors did just that.

Without further ado, let’s look at five reasons why the LA Clippers won Game 5 against the Utah Jazz.

With Kawhi Leonard out indefinitely due to a knee sprain, the onus was on Paul George to lead the LA Clippers and he did just that. George was aggressive from the get-go and countered the Utah Jazz’s three-point shooting with his sinister drives to the bucket. He scored 22 points in the first half itself.

PG13 also set the tempo for the LA Clippers on the defensive end and was dominant on the glass. That also allowed him to grab rebounds and immediately push up the court while running the point.

Donovan Mitchell had scored 30 points in each of the last six playoff games, but that streak came to an end today. He managed just 10 points in the first three quarters. Mitchell tried to force the issue in the fourth and scored an additional 11 points to finish with 21, but was largely inefficient. He went 6-of-19 from the field tonight.