How Chris Paul's aggressiveness sparked Clippers 99-91 Game 2 win over Jazz

LOS ANGELES >> Whether he pulled up for a shot, set up a teammate or warded off his defender with his ball-handling skills, Clippers guard Chris Paul had one thought racing through his mind.

“Just trying to be aggressive,” Paul said.

That thought process never stopped as the Clippers secured a 99-91 Game 2 victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday at Staples Center and tied the series, 1-1.

Paul posted a complete game by posting 21 points while shooting 9-of-15 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point range and posting 10 assists. Paul opened the first three minutes of the game sinking an 18-foot-jumper, sinking a 27-foot 3-pointer, forcing a turnover and setting up DeAndre Jordan for a lob. Paul closed the game making a 3-pointer and fallaway jumper to give the Clippers a 94-86 lead with 4:19 remaining. In between, Russell offered a blend of scoring and playmaking that partly fueled Blake Griffin (24 points) and Jordan (18) scoring in double figures while the Clippers posted 60 points in the paint.

“I was trying to just stay on the court to tell you the truth,” Paul said.

Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute also observed Paul was also trying to rectify the Clippers’ Game 1 loss to Utah on Saturday. Though Paul had 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting and 11 assists in that game, he did not blend his scoring and playmaking together. After posting 10 assists in the first half, he only had one the rest of the way. After posting only five points in the first half, he added 20 pints in the second half.

“He came out tonight and was really aggressive. We need him to do that,” Mbah a Moute said. “Sometimes he gets caught up in trying to get everybody involved and gets guys going. But when he comes out and plays aggressive, that helps a lot.”

• Photos:Los Angeles Clippers Defeat Utah Jazz in Game 2 of Western Conference Playoffs

It also helped that Paul did not allow two first-quarter fouls to dial back his aggressiveness. Though he went scoreless in the second quarter as he sat on the bench for nearly seven minutes, Paul finished the second half with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting and three assists.

“He was good through adversity, which I thought was really good,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. He got in foul trouble early, and we weathered that storm as a team. He had to weather the storm, sitting. Those uneven minutes for guys throw you off, and I thought it never threw him off. I thought he kept his rhythm, he kept his patience, he kept his peace.”

Paul did not keep his peace about one thing, though.

Afterwards, Paul warned a hostile environment for Game 3 on Friday in Utah, calling the Jazz’s passionate fanbase “homers.” Somehow, Jazz fans on social media misconstrued that commentary as a slight instead of a compliment.

“That means they like their team. Why even try that, though?” Paul said to a reporter. “I’ve said that before, they’re homers, and I say when you go play there, you don’t really see opposing teams’ jerseys; know what I mean? They support their team, which is good; know what I mean? How can you take that in another way?”

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The reporter said he did not. Several Jazz fans did.

“When I go there, I don’t see like too many Clippers’ jerseys,” Paul clarified. “They really support their team, and it’s always been that. Yeah, you’re reaching if you’re thinking that’s something else. You’ve got to get a different hashtag. Come on, man.”

No one misconstrued Paul’s game, however.

“We always want Chris aggressive. He’s smart enough and good enough where he makes the right play,” Clippers forward Jamal Crawford said. “He doesn’t play with an agenda. He just plays and takes whatever is there. That’s what makes him one of the brilliant point guards that’s ever played.”

And that’s also what enabled the Clippers to avoid a 0-2 deficit against Utah.

“We moved the ball great, but all in all, I think our pace was pretty good all night,” Paul said. “Whether they scored, missed or whatnot, we just tried to keep the tempo and the pace up.”