LA Clippers got their revenge against Utah Jazz as they defeated the latter 116-112 on Friday night. It was a big relief for the Clippers, who intend to sit at the top of the WC table, with the Jazz being the biggest hurdle as of now. 

Before this game, Utah Jazz was enjoying a nine-game win streak, which finally ended with a narrow loss against the motivated Clippers. But who helped the Clippers extract the self-confidence enough to beat the league topper? It will not be wrong to give this credit to guard Lou Williams.

When Lou Williams showed his top-notch leadership skills

In the previous game between the Clippers and the Jazz, the former was leading until the first half but blew away the lead by losing both the following quarters. However, on Friday, they did not allow the Jazz to dominate at any point. Lou Williams led the bench not just in terms of points scored, but also the much-needed leadership. 

At one point, sitting on the bench alongside center Ivica Zubac and forward Terance Mann, Lou did exactly what an NBA veteran should. He first motivated Ivica by saying, “Be dominant. Give yourself some chance at 7-feet…” and then demanded Mann’s attention before they again get on the court. Take a look – 

During the Clippers’ Orlando Bubble loss to the Nuggets, critics raised concerns about the lack of leadership in their squad. Now, Lou Williams is visibly fulfilling that role, at least from the bench.

Read also – Clippers’ Teammate Reveals How Kawhi Leonard Has Become More Vocal With His Leadership

How did the Clippers defeat the Jazz?

Kawhi Leonard (coming off bruised leg) and Paul George combined for 44 points in the game and received decent help from Patrick Beverley, who was a force from downtown. Marcus Morris came off the bench to drop 17 points, whereas Lou Williams took care of both ends. A highly motivated Ivica added 8 rebounds to make a positive impact on the floor. 

The Clippers out-rebounded the Jazz 45-38 and that helped the former keep some crucial possessions that converted to points. The LA-based franchise failed to score any threes in the entirety of Q3, but both Marcus and Patrick combined four deep range shots in the decisive quarter. 

This diluted a great performance from Donovan Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Jordan Clarkson, and helped the Clippers stop Jazz in clutch time. 

Can the Clippers top WC? Help us know your views in the comments.