James Harden scored 24 of his 41 points in the first quarter, Norman Powell added 29 points and the Los Angeles Clippers ended a three-game losing streak with an easy 144-107 victory over the Utah Jazz on Monday in Inglewood, Calif.
Harden outscored the Jazz 24-20 in the first quarter by shooting 6 of 9 from the floor and 5 of 7 from 3-point range. He was also fouled while shooting a 3-pointer twice in the opening quarter, when he made 7 of 8 free throws.
Ivica Zubac wound up with 19 points and 12 rebounds and Amir Coffey added 16 points for Los Angeles, which improved to 10-6 at home. It was the most points in a game for the Clippers this season.
Jordan Clarkson scored 20 points and Lauri Markkanen put up 17 for the Jazz, who lost their third consecutive game. Utah fell for the eighth time in nine contests and 12th time in 14.
Collin Sexton scored 15 points and John Collins added 14 for the Jazz, who slipped to 3-10 on the road.
The Clippers led 12-3 early before Harden scored, with the veteran then adding his team’s next eight points as Los Angeles went up 20-7 five minutes into the game. Harden also made a pair of 3-pointers in the last 34 seconds of the opening period as the Clippers took a 44-20 lead.
Los Angeles took an 81-47 lead into the break, its highest point total in a first half since a Dec. 1, 2019, game against the Washington Wizards. The Clippers shot 63.4 percent in the opening half and 65 percent (13 of 20) from 3-point range.
Utah made 39 percent of its first-half field-goal attempts and 31.6 percent (6 of 19) from long range.
The game never was competitive in the second half, with the Clippers shooting 59.8 percent in the game and 53.8 percent (21 of 39) from beyond the arc. The Jazz shot 45 percent overall and 33.3 percent (13 of 39) from the 3-point range. — Field Level Media/Reuters
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