SALT LAKE CITY -- Once again, the Utah Jazz endured a postseason collapse. But making an early exit from the NBA playoffs stung much more this season.
The top-seeded Jazz fell to the LA Clippers in six games after blowing a 2-0 series lead. Injuries to All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley, coupled with defensive deficiencies exposed by the Clippers' small-ball lineups, took down a Utah team after a dominate regular season.
For a team that surrendered a 3-1 series lead to Denver a season earlier, this latest postseason setback left an extra bitter taste.