Pregame Report: Clippers and Jazz to Get Reacquainted in Game 1 of First‑Round Playoff Series
1 / 8Josh Martin Los Angeles-It feels like only yesterday that the Los Angeles Clippers last handled the Utah Jazz at Staples Center, 108-95. In real time, three weeks have passed since then, but with this being a playoff matchup, these two teams might as well scrap their regular-season series (which L.A. won 3-1) and start fresh for the first round. “We played all those games to get here,” Chris Paul said. “We had our ups and downs and stuff like that, but it’s over now. It means nothing now.” That tack rings particularly true in this showdown. Not once in six prior meetings—two in the preseason, four during the regular season—did the preferred starting fives for the Clippers and Jazz go toe-to-toe. At long last, Utah will have its full rotation together, now that Derrick Favors, who appeared twice during the regular season against L.A., is healthy again. The Clippers, on the other hand, will likely take the floor in Game 1 without Austin Rivers, who’s been nursing a hamstring strain since late March.