The Utah Jazz are the team that nobody expected at the NBA Conference Semifinals party, but here they are. The only lower seed to take down a (slightly) higher seed Los Angeles Clippers, the Jazz relied on underrated Gordon Hayward. Hayward willed his team through Games 5 and 7 on the road with spectacular performances (and wasn't too shabby in Game 6 at home). Hayward poured in an average of 28 points per game for the final three games of the series. But his consistency was interesting. He had exactly 9 field goals, 8 rebounds, and 3 or 4 assists in 41 or 42 minutes each of the three games. Most consistent was his free throw shooting, at 21-22 overall (95.4%). The aging Clippers had no answer, and Hayward finally gets his shot on the big stage against the Western Conference defending Champion Golden State Warriors. If they push the Warriors to the edge, it will be on the back of their underrated superstar.
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