This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Finishing carries great importance in the NBA. A game-winning shot. A run to close a fourth quarter. A crucial defensive stop. Any one of those factors can be the difference in a win or loss.

Quin Snyder and the Utah Jazz have been seeking the inverse. In their playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers, they've craved fast starts.

In Game 1, the Clippers scored seven of the first nine points. In Game 2, Los Angeles began things with a 9-2 run. And while Gordon Hayward's huge first quarter gave the Jazz a double-digit lead at the end of the first quarter in Game 3, it was a period in which the Clippers jumped out to an 8-4 lead.

"It's something that we've talked about and that we're aware of," Hayward said. "We've had problems with it, and it's something that we need to address and be better at."

The first two games were marked by the Jazz playing catch-up and rallying against the Clippers. Playing uphill requires significant energy, and that caught up with the Jazz in Game 2. They worked to cut into the deficit, and had chances to pull within a single possession. But those opportunities always ended in a missed shot, and eventually Chris Paul closed the door on Utah for good.

"It's difficult trying to run an opponent down constantly," Snyder said.

The Jazz were better in Friday night's Game 3. For the third consecutive time, they started out with a deficit, as the Clippers ran out to an 8-4 lead. But where Los Angeles was able to sustain its advantage in Games 1 and 2, the Clippers weren't able to do the same thing in Game 3, as the Jazz took the lead at the end of the first quarter and maintained it through the first half.

Subtle changes

Snyder made several adjustments in Friday's first half, with significant success. He tweaked his rotation among big men, playing Boris Diaw at center with the second unit, rather than bringing Jeff Withey off the bench, as he had in the first two games.

Another minor adjustment that proved huge: He turned Derrick Favors into a screener for Hayward, which brought DeAndre Jordan out of the his goalie position in the paint and allowed Hayward needed space he hasn't had in the first two games.

Making shots

The Jazz went 8 for 19 from 3-point range in Game 1. They shot 10 of 25 in Game 2's loss. That number shot up to 7 of 15 in the first half of Game 3.

Soaking it in

Before Game 3, Diaw said he appreciated his numerous postseason runs with the San Antonio Spurs, and that he looks to bring that vast playoff knowledge to the Jazz.

Diaw didn't score in the first half, Friday. But he played 15 minutes and was an important part of Utah's improved ball movement.

tjones@sltrib.com

Twitter: @tribjazz