Joe Ingles hit a three-pointer, a lay-up and pulled off some big defensive plays in the final minutes, but it was not enough for the Utah Jazz to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers in game two of their NBA playoff series.
The Clippers won 99-91 in Los Angeles on Tuesday to square their best-of seven series 1-1.
The next two games will be played on the Jazz's home court in Salt Lake City.
The Jazz pulled off an upset win in Saturday's game one in LA despite losing centre and NBA defensive player of the year candidate Rudy Gobert with a knee injury in the opening minutes.
The Jazz desperately needed him in game two.
The Clippers dominated around the basket, with 60 points in the paint compared to the Jazz's 38.
"That was where we struggled defensively," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said.
Clippers' centre DeAndre Jordan had 18 points and 15 rebounds while power forward Blake Griffin had 21 points and four rebounds.
The Clippers, determined not to lose both home games and face elimination in Utah, jumped out early and led the entire game.
The Jazz rallied late, buoyed by Ingles, who had seven points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 30 minutes on the court.
It was the Clippers' point guard Chris Paul who guided his team home, scoring seven of his 21 points in the final quarter.
The 203cm tall Ingles started at guard and his length and aggressive defence has shut out three-point specialist JJ Redick in both games.
Redick had just one three point attempt in game two and missed it.
"You just try and make it as tough as possible, but they can get hot pretty quickly," Ingles said.
The Jazz's other Australian, Dante Exum, has fallen out of Snyder's playoff rotation with the 21-year-old left on the bench for the second straight game.
It was a tough day for Australia's other NBA players on in action, with Matthew Dellavedova and Thon Maker unable to lift the Milwaukee Bucks to a victory over the Toronto Raptors.
The Raptors' win, in Toronto, also squares their series 1-1, with game three in Milwaukee on Thursday.
The Bucks had their chances, including Dellavedova who missed a three-point attempt with 59 seconds left and his team down 100-102.
Raptors guard Kyle Lowry scored 22 points, including the game-winning basket with less than 10 seconds to play.
Bucks coach Jason Kidd continues to show faith in rookie Maker, starting him in both playoff games and leaving him on the court for the final minutes.
Maker had five points, four assists, three rebounds and two blocks in 20 minutes on the court.
"He just gives everybody energy," the Bucks' star, Giannis Antetokounmpo, said of Maker.
Antetokounmpo had 24 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists.
Dellavedova struggled with his shot, missing seven of his 10 field goal attempts for seven points.
The Chicago Bulls took a 2-0 lead against the Eastern Conference's No.1 ranked Boston Celtics.
The Bulls won 111-97 in Boston and now head to Chicago for the next two games.
Boston's court leader Isiah Thomas, who had 20 points, has courageously played both games despite his sister's recent death in a car crash.
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