Stopping Chris Paul, or at least keeping him contained, hasn't gone well for the Utah Jazz in their first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Utah wants to make Paul exert as much energy as possible while the Jazz are on offense. Make him run through screens. Make him guard and put forth an effort when he's playing defense.
"We've got to make him work because he's been so comfortable when he has the ball," Jazz point guard George Hill said before Sunday's game. "The Clippers are doing the same thing to me, so we have to do that with Chris. Whomever he is guarding, he has to be aggressive."
The hope is the extra activity for Paul on both ends will have a cumulative effect on the All-Star point guard by the fourth quarter. If fatigue sets in down the stretch, maybe that leads to a turnover or a key missed shot.
"Chris is a great defender," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "I'd be surprised if he wears down to the point that he's not who he is on offense. But we've got to attack him the same. We can't shy away from him. We have to attack him the same as we would attack anyone else on their team."
A turnaround
Derrick Favors looked like a man with no energy in Friday's Game 3. He played a season-high 38 minutes but couldn't move laterally by the end of the game, which Paul took advantage of on pick-and-roll plays.
Favors looked different in Sunday's game. He scored 17 points coming off the bench for Rudy Gobert, shooting 7 of 10 from the field and grabbing six rebounds.
Surprise benching
Jazz backup center Jeff Withey was a healthy scratch for Sunday's Game 4. He was placed on the inactive list, while rookie Joel Bolomboy was active.
It was the first time in the series that Withey didn't dress.
Withey reportedly was accused on Tuesday by his ex-fiancee of domestic violence.
tjones@sltrib.com Twitter: @tribjazz
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) seems healthy enough as he dribbles a loose basketball soccer-style as he stretched prior to game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs, Sunday, April 23, 2017.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) looks to battle for a rebound against LA Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) and LA Clippers guard Jamal Crawford (11) during first quarter play. The Utah Jazz trailed the LA Clipper 26-24 at the end of the first period of Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs, Sunday, April 23, 2017.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) is too late to grab this rebound from LA Clippers center Marreese Speights (5) during first quarter play. The Utah Jazz trailed the LA Clipper 26-24 at the end of the first period of Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs, Sunday, April 23, 2017.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune LA Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) yells in the direction of Utah Jazz guard Rodney Hood (5) while guarding Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) during first quarter play. The Utah Jazz trailed the LA Clipper 26-24 at the end of the first period of Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs, Sunday, April 23, 2017.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) and Utah Jazz guard Raul Neto (25) turn to argue their case after Net fouled LA Clippers guard Jamal Crawford (11) and sent him sprawling onto the floor during first quarter play. The Utah Jazz trailed the LA Clipper 26-24 at the end of the first period of Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs, Sunday, April 23, 2017.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors (15) scores over LA Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) during first quarter play. The Utah Jazz trailed the LA Clipper 26-24 at the end of the first period of Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs, Sunday, April 23, 2017.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Fans react as LA Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) is about to score on a dunk during first quarter play. The Utah Jazz trailed the LA Clipper 26-24 at the end of the first period of Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs, Sunday, April 23, 2017.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune The Utah Jazz trailed the LA Clipper 26-24 at the end of the first period of Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs, Sunday, April 23, 2017.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz forward Joe Johnson (6) drives against LA Clippers forward Paul Pierce (34) during first quarter play. The Utah Jazz trailed the LA Clipper 26-24 at the end of the first period of Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs, Sunday, April 23, 2017.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz forward Joe Johnson (6) steals the ball from LA Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) during first quarter play. The Utah Jazz trailed the LA Clipper 26-24 at the end of the first period of Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs, Sunday, April 23, 2017.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors (15) gets tangled up with LA Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) during this first quarter rebound. The Utah Jazz trailed the LA Clipper 26-24 at the end of the first period of Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs, Sunday, April 23, 2017.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) gives LA Clippers center Marreese Speights (5) a fearsome look while following through an an early dunk during first quarter play. The Utah Jazz trailed the LA Clipper 26-24 at the end of the first period of Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs, Sunday, April 23, 2017.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune LA Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) looks up into the crowd as fans give him a roaring "AIR BALL" chant after he completely missed the rim on a free throw during first quarter play. The Utah Jazz trailed the LA Clipper 26-24 at the end of the first period of Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs, Sunday, April 23, 2017.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz guard Rodney Hood (5) is stopped in the paint by LA Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) during first quarter play. The Utah Jazz trailed the LA Clipper 26-24 at the end of the first period of Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs, Sunday, April 23, 2017.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) yells as the team got together after pre-game introductions. The Utah Jazz trailed the LA Clipper 26-24 at the end of the first period of Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs, Sunday, April 23, 2017.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles (2) gets an easy layup past the defense of LA Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) during first quarter play. The Utah Jazz trailed the LA Clipper 26-24 at the end of the first period of Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs, Sunday, April 23, 2017.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles (2) squares up for a 3-point attempt during first quarter play. The Utah Jazz trailed the LA Clipper 26-24 at the end of the first period of Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs, Sunday, April 23, 2017.
Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune LA Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) gets it from the crowd as he shoots a free throw during the Jazz versus Clippers NBA playoff game at Viviint Smart Home arena in Salt Lake City Sunday April 23, 2017.
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