When Utah and LA met on Friday night at Vivint Arena, it was a game that would be a war of attrition. Both teams entered without their top two scorers — Donovan Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic for Utah, and Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for the Clippers. 

With so much star power missing, it meant that Utah’s depth or LA’s chemistry would win out in the end. Turns out, the Jazz have both. 

Led by five players in double figures, Utah dominated from start to finish in one of their most impressive wins of the season. Leading by as many as 41 in the second half, the Jazz cruised to a 121-92 victory. Utah leads Dallas by one game for the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference playoffs. 

“We had a lot of guys that stepped up tonight and were ready to play,” Utah head coach Quin Snyder said. 

“Well, they (Utah) polished us. How about that?” Clippers head coach Ty Lue added. 

With Mitchell and Bogdanovic both sidelined, Snyder talked pregame about how others would have to step up — yet do so without trying to do too much. 

Jared Butler did precisely that. 

In a career game for the rookie, he finished with a game-high 21 points — 16 in the fourth quarter — on 8-of-13 shooting, including 5-of-10 from beyond the arc. He added three rebounds and a career-high seven assists.

Most impressively though, has been his maturation when learning the intricacies of Utah’s offense — with a playbook the size of a thesaurus. 

Butler’s command of the offense while serving as the backup point guard behind Mike Conley was sensational as he looked much more comfortable in the pick-and-roll. He was able to attack the Clippers’ defense by getting into the paint, never being in a rush, finishing at the rim, kicking out to an open shooter, or finding Rudy Gobert for a dunk.

While it will be challenging to crack Utah’s rotation in the playoffs, Butler proved on Friday night that as he gets older and matures, he will have a very successful career in the league. 

“A lot of times we’ve been put in the position to where I have to score, so it’s been definitely a point of emphasis for me to show that I can pass and get off the ball,” Butler said.

Powered by orange juice #TakeNote | @J_Hooper11 pic.twitter.com/S2ybrczVzK

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 19, 2022

no one’s safe from Don’s water bath

congrats @J_Hooper11 on a career-high scoring night pic.twitter.com/13VcFyc8ly

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 19, 2022

It’s fitting that Eric Paschall had one of his best performances in a Utah uniform in the last game before he heads home as the Jazz begin a six-game road trip. 

Thrust into action due to the injuries, Paschall responded with 17 points, four rebounds, and two assists off the bench. From the moment he entered the game midway through the first quarter, he played with his signature physicality and hustle, often overwhelming the Clippers with his bruising style of play. 

Known for being a high-energy guy, Paschall showed much more understanding of the offense as it looked like the game had slowed down for him within Utah’s offense. He cut hard and found the open man, using his quickness and power to get to the rim or kick out and keep the ball moving. 

“I’m just using my speed, using my strength. … Just going out there and being aggressive, that’s what I do,” Paschall said.

right to the rim #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/ZCHiqOWrfG

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 19, 2022

Despite being shorthanded, the Jazz seized momentum from its opening possession and never stopped coming. They started 7-of-9 from the field to lead 17-4 as Nickeil Alexander-Walker, starting in place of Mitchell, scored seven early points. Paschall later added to the lead with eight points in the opening quarter as Utah led 30-20 after one. 

The second quarter is where the Jazz put the game away, outscoring LA 41-14 as a combination of efficient offense and dominant defense paved the way. They ended the half on a 20-0 run as Gobert got involved with 11 points during that span.

Utah led 71-34 at the break.

The second half was much of the same, with the Jazz upping their lead to as many as 41 in the fourth quarter before LA rallied to make the final score more respectable.

“I think we were connected defensively, particularly the second group, when they were switching. … They were doing a good job and just the activity was good,” Snyder said.

| Sixx doin’ his thing
20p | 8r | 5a | 2s | 5 3pm#TakeNote | @ZionsBank pic.twitter.com/Uago7iDhKf

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 19, 2022

Gobert finished with another double-double, posting 19 points, 16 rebounds (eight offensive), and two blocks. Jordan Clarkson continued his stellar play of late, finishing with 20 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, while Alexander-Walker added 13 points, five assists, and four rebounds. 

The Jazz now head east for their longest road trip of the season. The six-game trip starts with a back-to-back — at New York and at Brooklyn — on Sunday night. Tipoff against the Knicks is set for 5:30 p.m. MST.

“I think we’ve been playing the right way, not just tonight but over the last few games,” Gobert said. “Tonight, we started tonight defending really well and offensively moving the ball, and we made some shots, we were driving the ball, running. It was great basketball, and I liked that we stayed consistent. … We didn’t give them any opportunity to get back into the game.”

“We just played Jazz basketball.”#WalkoffInterview | @lhmauto pic.twitter.com/kxANXg0sko

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 19, 2022