“Hope Utah Jazz double-team Paul George”: How Ty Lue baited Donovan Mitchell and co into losing Game 5 on the defensive end

The Jazz double-teamed Paul George all game long after he got off to a hot start in Game 5. Clippers HC Ty Lue says it was all part of the plan.

The LA Clippers have a chance to close out their Western Conference Semifinals series at home tomorrow. They have registered 3 straight wins in the series against the top-seeded Jazz, including Game 5 with no Kawhi Leonard.

It’s now fairly obvious that they’re favorites to qualify. Teams that win Game 5 in a series tied at 2-2 have historically gone on to win 83% of those series. And Ty Lue will be hoping that his Clippers are part of this trend, having broken it in the first round.

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They staged an amazing comeback win on the night despite conceding 17 3-pointers in the first half. Utah was on fire in both the first 2 quarters. In fact, they’d set an NBA record for most 3-pointers in a playoff quarter with 10 in the first.

However, the Clippers hung on with some great performances from all around the roster. Glasses Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris, in particular, were amazing in their roles alongside Paul George.

Ty Lue answers Paul George double-teaming question in epic fashion

Ty Lue has one thing up his sleeve – he has a fully-fit Paul George at his disposal. George rose to the occasion in Game 5 with a performance that will go down in Clippers history. He put up a statline of 37 points, 16 rebounds and 5 assists – a first in franchise history.

According to Lue, this was by design, despite the fact that the Jazz tried to get him to get rid of the ball after he got off to a hot shooting start in the pivotal Game 5.

And in fact, he’d love PG to take on a facilitator’s role if the Jazz double-team him. That’s exactly what he told Clippers beat writer Tomer Azarly ahead of Game 6 back at Staples Center.

Azarly: “The Jazz could double Paul George and get the ball out of his hands. Is that something you’re preparing for?”

Me: “The Jazz could double Paul George and get the ball out of his hands. Is that something you’re preparing for?”

Ty Lue, with a smile and 2 thumbs up: “Good. I hope they do.” 🤣 https://t.co/oRRIGTpkog pic.twitter.com/qQ7YpVYtN9

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) June 17, 2021

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Ty Lue will definitely bank a ton on the other scorers in his roster. Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out of Game 6 as well, so it’ll be a really tough prospect for the Clippers in any case.