LOS ANGELES_The Los Angeles Clippers have inched one step closer to being eliminated from the Western Conference playoffs, a season that began with so much promise when they were 14-2 now this close to being over.
They reached this juncture because the Clippers dropped a 96-92 game to the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night at Staples Center.
Now the Clippers trail 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. They must travel back to Utah for Game 6 on Friday night and win to force a Game 7 that would be here Sunday.
The Clippers did win Game 3 in Salt Lake City, but the Jazz have the momentum now, having won the last two games.
Gordon Hayward, who couldn't finish Game 4 because of food poisoning, led the Jazz with 27 points and eight rebounds.
Joe Johnson had 14 points, Rodney Hood 16 and George Hill 12. Hill had the final four Jazz points on four-for-four free-throw shooting.
Chris Paul led the Clippers with 28 points and nine assists and J.J. Redick had his best game of the series with 26 points.
The Clippers went down 11 points early in the third after Hood drilled a three-pointer from the corner.
But the Clippers turned up their defensive pressure, allowing them to go on an 11-0 run to tie the score at 69-69.
The Jazz were forced to call a timeout with 7:43 left to regroup. And the Jazz did, getting a basket from Hayward, a three-pointer from Hood and a three-pointer from Hayward to go up 77-69.
The Clippers kept fighting back, getting to within 80-78 on a Paul basket.
But the Jazz had attacked the offensive backboards all game long and did it again late in the game when Hayward tipped out a missed shot by Hill.
The ball wound up in the capable hands of Johnson, who could have chosen to run the clock down but decided to take a three-pointer. As he shot a rainbow, the crowd groaned, obviously knowing what Johnson has done in the series. And the fans knew, because the ball dropped through the net for an 83-78 lead with 2:59 left.
Now it was the Clippers who had to call a timeout.
DeAndre Jordan made one of two free throws, but Hood made a three-pointer for an 86-79 Jazz lead.
Jordan scored, but missed the free throw that could have given him a three-point play, leaving the Clippers down 86-81.
The Jazz answered with two free throws by Hayward for an 88-81 lead.
From that point on, the Clippers still kept playing catchup, getting to within 88-85 until Hayward made two free throws for a 90-85 lead. That came after Paul and Hayward were called for double technical fouls while they scrambled for a loose ball.
But the man of the hour, of the series, really, took over the game again after Paul made two free throws to pull the Clippers to within 90-87.
Johnson took his time and scored on a jumper for a 92-87 Jazz lead with 19.2 seconds left.
He then pranced back down court while the Clippers were calling a timeout.
Austin Rivers was back after missing the first four playoff games with a strained left hamstring. Even with restricted minutes, Rivers struggled. He had only two points on two free throws. He missed all four of his field-goal attempts.
But the Clippers also went to their bench to use veterans Paul Pierce and Brandon Bass, who didn't play in any of the first four games.
Pierce even started the second half for the Clippers in place of Marreese Speights, who had started the last two games in place of the injured Blake Griffin.
Then in a third quarter in which both teams had problem scoring, the Clippers even went to reserve Wesley Johnson.
But nothing was working for the Clippers, who shot 31.3 percent (five for 16) in the third and scored only 15 points.
Utah didn't shoot much better in the quarter, making only 36.4 percent of its shots. But the Jazz scored 18 points and opened a 64-58 lead at the end of the period.
