Rowan Kavner SALT LAKE CITY – Playing on the second night of a back-to-back after a Christmas night matchup, getting into Utah at 3 a.m. the night before the game and finding out they’d be without Blake Griffin, fatigue could’ve hindered the Clippers down the stretch Saturday night against the Jazz.J.J. Redick and Paul Pierce apparently didn’t care, showing no ill effects of the travel or tired legs late as they both finished 5-for-7 from 3-point range and came up with the necessary clutch perimeter shots late in a tight matchup to power the Clippers (18-13) past the Jazz (12-16) in a 109-104 win. Redick scored 25 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Pierce went 6-for-11 with a season-high 20 points. The duo actually got better from deep as they game went on. Pierce and Redick had combined to make just one 3-pointer in the first half before exploding in the third quarter with three 3-pointers apiece. They were still saving the best for last, as Redick and Pierce combined to hit three straight 3-pointers in the final two minutes to turn a 96-95 advantage into a 105-100 lead with 28 seconds left. Neither team could miss down the stretch in Utah. A night prior, head coach Doc Rivers still said he didn’t like his team’s defense even while allowing just 84 points to the Lakers. The Jazz shot 58.3 percent in the first half and 48.6 percent in the game, but with both teams trading blows late, the Clippers finally got the stops they needed. With the Jazz leading by a point late, Chris Paul and Redick came up with back-to-back steals to shift the momentum the Clippers’ way. The Clippers then took a 96-93 lead and never trailed again. Chris Paul added 19 points and 11 assists, while DeAndre Jordan had 14 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks.
