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Gordon Hayward struggled in the first two games against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Utah Jazz small forward shot 36 percent from the field, with Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute hounding his every step. He wasn't getting clean looks within the offense. The Clippers were converging on him, and it emerged as a major storyline for the first round series.

Hayward changed the narrative.

As the Jazz attempted to close the Clippers out in Friday's Game 6, Hayward's accuracy from the field has flipped. He's shooting 59 percent over the last four games of the series, shedding Mbah a Moute's sticky defense. It's allowed him to perform like an All-Star.

"I think Gordon moved the needle," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "Part of it, we began to look at how people were playing him. There were some adjustments, and he's gotten out in transition. I think Gordon seeing the ball go in gave him a boost."

Hayward and Snyder are close as player and coach. And after each game, the two have pored over film, offering mutual feedback, tossing suggestions back and forth.

In Game 2, Snyder switched some of his pick and roll strategy, which allowed Hayward some open looks at the basket. As the series shifted back to Salt Lake City, Hayward gained confidence with his breakout Game 3, a 40-point performance that featured 13-of-21 shooting.

The Jazz put Hayward on the move more, running his through more pick and rolls, running him off screens and forcing the Clippers into undesirable defensive switches. Getting Rudy Gobert back into the lineup and getting Hayward some easy transition baskets has helped as well.

"I think I settled in a bit," Hayward said. "I went through a lot of preparation this offseason."

Hayward's emergence has helped the Jazz gain position to win the series, which is what had to happen. Had Mbah a Moute continued to impose his will on Hayward defensively, the series could've been over long before Friday night.

Ongoing

The Jazz won Game 5, despite shooting poorly from the field and from 3-point range. That trend continued in Friday's Game 6, as Utah went 3-of-13 from 3-point land in the first half against the Clippers. As was the case in Game 5, the Jazz offense produced good shots. But they simply didn't make them. More importantly, the Jazz went 8 of 14 from the free-throw line.

"We just have to keep shooting them," Hayward said. "We have a lot of guys that can shoot and make shots. We just have to step up and take those shots. Eventually, they will go in."

All that Jazz

Jazz guard Joe Ingles was assessed a technical foul for hitting JJ Redick above the shoulders on a first half foul. …Snyder shrunk his rotation in Friday's first half, playing seven people big minutes. Raul Neto and Derrick Favors played seven and five minutes, respectively. … The Clippers ended the first quarter on a 7-0 run. … The first half featured eight tie scores and eight lead changes.

tjones@sltrib.com Twitter: @tribjazz