Paul George’s 34 points not enough as scoring-deficient Clippers fall to Jazz

The Clippers’ stalwart point guard whipped out an invisible dictionary.

How could it be possible, through nine games to start the season, that these Clippers were last in the NBA in points per game? In offensive efficiency? These Clippers — even continuing to miss Kawhi Leonard — with Paul George, John Wall, Norman Powell and a crew of veteran talent capable of going for 30 points on any given night?

So guard Reggie Jackson, who has struggled to a 36% shooting start from the field, put it extravagantly in the locker room before Sunday night’s game at Crypto.com Arena:

“Definitely, it’s an oxymoron,” Jackson said. “All the talent we’ve acquired, all of the offensive firepower we have, we [have] one of the worst offensive ratings. So it’s just a little ironic.”

Not one of — the worst, actually, heading into Sunday night’s game against the upstart Utah Jazz. George had done his part, averaging 23.8 points to start the season. Something had to give around him.

But the Clippers just didn’t get enough Sunday, the oxymoron growing, a red-hot George accounting for 34 points only for the team to fall 110-102 to a feisty Jazz squad. The loss ended a three-game winning streak for the Clippers (5-5).

After he had a 15-point first quarter, George grabbed a rebound with the Clippers down 46-40 in the second and went to work, drawing a foul.

Then came the smoothness, the no-sweat-handles that make George’s monster games seem almost effortless, the mixing and shaking for a hop-step floater. Then a drive into the Jazz’s Kelly Olynyk, bumping him out of the way, finishing a sweet left-handed layup. Then a staredown of Olynyk, kicking out, getting a pass back and burying a three-pointer against Olynyk.

Suddenly, George had 24 points with three minutes to go in the first half and the Clippers had cut their deficit to one point.

Utah’s Kelly Olynyk puts up a shot in front of Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr. during the Clippers’ loss Sunday.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Utah Jazz guard Talen Horton-Tucker, center, puts up a shot between Clippers center Ivica Zubac, left, and forward Robert Covington during the first half.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

But the Jazz, sensing the lack of a certain 7-foot Croatian on the floor, grabbed the momentum back.

Before the game, Jackson shook his head, eyes widening at the thought: Clippers starting center Ivica Zubac, through nine games, was first in the NBA in blocks per game.

“Yeah, it’s crazy,” Jackson said.

This wasn’t Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert or Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr. or Indiana’s Myles Turner. This was the Clippers’ own Croatian mainstay, the 7-foot fun-loving Zubac, who had never tallied more than a block per game across his seven NBA seasons but suddenly was swatting away an NBA-best 2.8 shots per game.

“It’s been a nice start,” Jackson said, “and I think that’s definitely been a nice little bright spot within everything that’s going on right now.”

Everything going on now, defined: no timetable for Leonard’s return from knee tightness per coach Tyronn Lue, a number of the Clippers’ role players struggling to find their stride; Lue continuing to tinker with an abundance of veteran talent. It has made Zubac essential — and when he was off the floor, the Jazz took advantage.

In the second quarter, after raining a parade of first-quarter threes, Utah blitzed the rim with Zubac off the floor — Olynyk straying from the three-point line for a driving layup, Collin Sexton bulldozing his way to the rim, Lauri Markannen drawing fouls on the interior. All of a sudden, the Clippers were down 63-56 at halftime.

Help was on the way. John Wall, the Clippers’ biggest offseason acquisition and a onetime All-NBA force with the Washington Wizards, was frustrated through much of the night. And then the speed that once produced nightly highlights ignited.

But his explosiveness was matched in the fourth by Sexton, who hung for an and-one that put the Jazz up 104-98 with three minutes to play.

And with a minute left, it was Olynyk’s turn for revenge on George, bullying his way into the paint and dumping to Sexton for an exclamation-point dunk that sealed the win.

UP NEXT

VS. CLEVELAND

When: 7:30 p.m. PST Monday

On the air: TV: Bally Sports SoCal, NBA TV; Radio: 570, 1220

Update: The Cavaliers (8-1) own the second-best record in the NBA after winning their eighth consecutive game Sunday, 114-100 over the Lakers. The Clippers will have to deal with former Utah Jazz All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, who is averaging a fourth-best 31.4 points per game and 6.5 assists for Cleveland.