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Chris Paul scores 24 in 2nd half to lift Clippers over Jazz

Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports / Action Images

When the Utah Jazz go to sleep Friday night, they'll have nightmares about the way the NBA's Point God torched them in the second half on their home floor.

Chris Paul was a man on a mission at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Game 3, and the Los Angeles Clippers needed him to be after they lost Blake Griffin to a toe injury in the second quarter. With his team trailing by nine at halftime, Paul carried the Clippers to a 111-106 victory and a 2-1 series lead over Utah.

He barely missed out on a triple-double with 34 points (24 of which came in the final two quarters), 10 dimes, and seven boards on 12-of-22 shooting in 36 minutes of action.

Of those 24 second-half points, 13 came in the final 4:02 of the fourth quarter, which was enough to outscore the entire Jazz team (10 points) by himself over that span.

Trailing 96-88 at the 8:01 mark, the Clippers went on a 15-0 run to go up 103-96 with 2:09 remaining. This stretch featured a number of clutch buckets from CP3, including a 3-pointer that put Los Angeles up by one, followed by a finger-roll layup and two jump shots.

Related - Watch: Chris Paul splits Jazz D with behind-the-back dribble for layup

Paul has notched a double-double in each of the series' three games. He finished with 25 points and 11 dimes in a two-point loss in Game 1, then posted 21 points and 11 assists in a Game 2 win.

Game 4 is Sunday night in Utah. The series heads back to the Staples Center for Game 5 on Tuesday.

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