The Clippers nudged their lead into double digits in the final minutes, which could mean only one thing.
Trouble.
A team that has treated sizable cushions with disdain through the season's early going did it again Monday night at Staples Center, letting the Utah Jazz make things uncomfortable.
The Clippers could exhale only after Chris Paul completed his first triple-double with the team, his fastbreak layup with 6.5 seconds left providing the final points of a 107-101 victory.
"We've got to get that killer mentality and put teams away because teams are way too good in this league, especially now, that they're not going to give up," said Paul, who finished with 13 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. "If we keep doing what we're doing, they're always going to feel like they can get back in the game."
Forward Blake Griffin had 31 points on 12-for-21 shooting for the Clippers, who had just enough bounce despite playing for the fourth time in five days, the schedule and the fresh legs of the exceedingly young Jazz unable to slow them.
Paul threw alley-oop pass after alley-oop pass and DeAndre Jordan was more than happy to do what he does with them. Jordan finished with four dunks to account for his eight points, taking one lob and dunking ferociously on top of Utah's Rudy Gobert, who tumbled helplessly to the court.
Clippers guard Jamal Crawford was aggressive in his return from a one-game absence because of bruised ribs, driving to the basket for a layup shortly after checking into the game. He finished with 19 points, giving him 15,003 for his career.
"That's a lot of points," Crawford said, "but it's more about my teammates and coaches, the guys who set picks, the guys who don't get a lot of credit. I truly, to me, have the easiest job, putting the ball in the hole."
The Clippers (3-1) also got a spark off the bench from small forward Reggie Bullock, who had 12 points, making four of seven three-pointers in his season debut.
Gordon Hayward had 27 points for Utah, which was seemingly finished with 1 minute 56 seconds left in the game when Matt Barnes made consecutive layups to put the Clippers ahead, 104-94. Three missed Clippers shots later, the Jazz was within 104-101.
Clippers guard J.J. Redick, an 88.6% career free-throw shooter, then missed the first of two free throws, prompting audible groans from the crowd. Redick made the second free throw and the Clippers stripped Hayward on a drive to the basket, the ball going off Hayward's body and out of bounds.
Barnes then found Paul for the layup that capped his first triple-double since the 2011 playoffs against the Lakers, when he played for the New Orleans Hornets.
"A 6-foot guard getting a triple-double is really impressive," Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said. "You would think he would get his with steals, not rebounds."
Joked Griffin: "He did a great job of coming in and stealing some of our rebounds."
The Clippers, coming off their first loss of the season Sunday against Sacramento, fully squandered another double-digit lead in the third quarter. They were up by 15 points but couldn't hold the advantage, the Jazz later tying the score thanks to a 13-0 run that included two turnovers and five missed shots by the Clippers.
"We just keep having these stretches," Rivers said, "and this one was a little more frustrating because we were getting great shots again. You're thinking, oh, boy, here we go."
They got through it just fine in the end.
ben.bolch@latimes.com
Twitter: @latbbolch
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Clippers earn a little more sweat equity in 107-101 win over Jazz
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