Ivica Zubac and James Harden help Clippers snap out of slump and beat

It may be premature to label a game in early February as a “must win,” but the urgency, if not the execution, was there for the Clippers from the moment they stepped onto the Intuit Dome court Saturday night against the struggling Utah Jazz.

Facing an undermanned opponent with the second-worst record in the Western Conference coming off an overtime loss less than 24 hours earlier, the Clippers ended a three-game skid with a 130-110 victory that moved them within a half-game of sixth-place Minnesota. It also gave the Clippers much-needed momentum for Wednesday’s matchup with Memphis before embarking on an eight-game trip, their longest of the season, starting Thursday in Utah.

Read more: Clippers blow a 22-point lead, falling to Pacers for third straight loss

The Clippers (29-23) could ill afford to lose a contest in which they were favored by 17½ points, especially after the rival Lakers, playing without LeBron James, beat Indiana earlier in the day to improve to 31-19 and move into fourth in the West with their 11th win in 13 games.

Ivica Zubac had 26 points and 15 rebounds, and James Harden finished with 23 points and 17 assists. Norman Powell, playing in his 600th regular-season game, scored 26 points, and Amir Coffey added 17 points.

“I’ll do whatever it takes. I take my time and see how the defense plays me,” Zubac said. “I haven’t been seeing a lot of double teams lately so it’s about cutting to the basket and making the right reads.”

Kawhi Leonard, who played 33 minutes Thursday against the Pacers — the most he has logged since returning to the lineup Jan. 4 — had 10 points in 31 minutes.

Jordan Clarkson scored the first 11 points for Utah (12-39), which suffered its third loss to the Clippers in three meetings this season, all in L.A. He finished with a team-high 24. The Jazz hit…