Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell scored 27 of his game-high 37 points in the first half of a Game 2 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in a Western Conference Semifinals game Thursday in Salt Lake City. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI

Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell scored 27 of his game-high 37 points in the first half of a Game 2 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in a Western Conference Semifinals game Thursday in Salt Lake City. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

June 11 (UPI) — Donovan Mitchell scorched the Los Angeles Clippers for the second consecutive game, as the Utah Jazz used his 37-point performance to win Game 2 and take a 2-0 series lead in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Mitchell made 15 of 29 shots and hit six 3-pointers in the 117-111 victory Thursday at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. He scored 27 points in the first half. Jazz center Rudy Gobert chipped in 13 points and 20 rebounds in the win.

The Jazz recorded 18 points off turnovers and led by as many as 21 points.

“I’ve seen every [defensive] coverage,” Mitchell told reporters. “It’s just about me making the right reads and about how aggressive they are physically. … Sometimes the shots go in and sometimes they don’t.”

The Jazz started the game on a 10-2 run. Mitchell scored 14 points in the first quarter to help his team secure a 30-29 lead through the first 12 minutes.

He added another 13 points in the second quarter and the Jazz led 66-53 at halftime.

The Clippers defense tightened in the second half. They cut the Jazz lead to 93-86 at the end of the third quarter. The Clippers outscored the Jazz 25-24 in the fourth quarter.

They took a 101-99 lead with 6:37 remaining, but the Jazz answered with a 14-2 run down the stretch.

Jordan Clarkson scored 24 points and made six 3-pointers off the Jazz bench. Jazz guard Joe Ingles and forward Bojan Bogdanovic chipped in 19 and 16 points, respectively.

Reggie Jackson scored a team-high 29 points for the Clippers. Paul George recorded 27 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in the loss. Kawhi Leonard totaled 21 points for the Clippers.

“I have to take what the defense is giving me,” Leonard told reporters. “I felt like I made the right plays, it just unfortunately didn’t go our way.”

Game 3 is at 8:30 p.m. EDT Saturday at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

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