Five takeaways from the Clippers’ 102-99 overtime victory over the Utah Jazz

Nine was enough. The Clippers left nearly half their roster at home and then ruled the road, their remaining players pulling out a 102-99 stunner in overtime over the Utah Jazz on Friday night at Vivant Smart Home Arena. Here are five takeaways from the game:

1. It was the ultimate team-building win. The text messages and tweets were already pouring in from the players left behind in Los Angeles by the time Jamal Crawford’s 25-foot jumper settled through the net with two-tenths of a second left in overtime. From DeAndre Jordan: “Easy 6th Man of the Year!!! @JCrossover and way to ball out Cole World!!! @cole45.” From Blake Griffin: “wow great team win!! If @JCrossover isn’t 6th man of the year I don’t know who is!!” From Chris Paul, with a photo of Crawford attached: “6th Man of the Year Ladies and Gentlemen!!!!! X3 #JCrossover.” And from J.J. Redick: “Great win @LAClippers. A lot of guys stepped up and then…Fam!!!!” It was a performance that left chatty Clippers Coach Doc Rivers almost speechless. “When you sit that many guys,” Rivers said, pausing because he didn’t seem to know how to continue, “our effort was just amazing.”

2. Crawford’s bid for sixth man of the year got another boost. Crawford called his shot before it went in or he even took it. He went over to the coaches and told them “it was going to be game” with 22 seconds left before he knew they would design a play for him in the timeout huddle. They did, indeed, Rivers putting five relatively small players on the court in an attempt to have the Jazz scramble and switch a big man onto Crawford. The ploy worked. Derrick Favors’ outstretched arms could not stop Crawford from launching the ball and another Clippers victory. In the Clippers’ locker room afterward, forward Jeff Green launched his own impromptu campaign for Crawford to win what would be a record third sixth man of the year award. “Night in, night out, he’s bringing it,” Green said of the 36-year-old. “People can say he’s this age, that age, but like I said, age ain’t nothing but a number. I’m speechless right now, the way he’s been playing when guys are out. He’s been playing amazing. Amazing. He has the ticket of youth. He’s getting it done. He’s the reason why we won tonight.”

3. Cole Aldrich was the second coming of Jordan, if not Hakeem Olajuwon. The reference to the Houston Rockets Hall of Famer isn’t totally random since Clippers assistant coach Sam Cassell actually made it in the locker room after the game when he kept yelling, “Cole Olajuwon!” Aldrich had that kind of production, finishing with season highs in points (21) and rebounds (18) to go with a career high in steals (five). He also had the block and putback that forced overtime. “Cole Aldrich was close to dominant through the game,” Rivers said.

4. Green and Paul Pierce gutted out some discomfort to finish the game. Pierce was limping around and had to have his ankle retaped in the second half and Green briefly took a seat along the baseline after absorbing contact to his left knee in the fourth quarter. Both were able to return and spark the improbable victory with 18 points apiece. “Just got myself in a mental zone, just try to block it out,” Green said of playing through the pain. “I’ll be all right. It wasn’t as bad as the other knee.” Green had hurt his right knee Wednesday against the Lakers.

5. The Clippers could be back to full strength Sunday against Dallas. All the regular starters are expected to return and the only questions pertain to Austin Rivers (ankle) and Wesley Johnson (plantar fasciitis), who have each sat out the last two games. If they return, the Clippers will have everyone available against a team fighting for the playoffs, nearly the opposite of the situation Friday against Utah.

Follow Ben Bolch on Twitter: @latbbolch