Utah Jazz: 3 studs and 1 dud from gutsy win over Hawks

Utah Jazz fans would be well within their rights to worry about Donovan Mitchell’s ankle sprain. It kept him out of last night’s contest against the Atlanta Hawks, triggering deja vu for Jazz fans across the globe, and not the fun kind.

Luckily, the star shooting guard is employed by one of the deepest teams in the National Basketball Association. For that reason, the Jazz were able to pull out a comfortable 116-98 win over the talented Atlanta Hawks.

It’s a little cliche to say that a game was closer than the score suggests, but it’s entirely true in regards to this one. The Hawks trailed 75-74 heading into the fourth quarter. That was the precise moment that this Utah Jazz offense exploded.

The Jazz improved to 7-1 in a road game without their best offensive player. Provided that Mitchell’s ankle injury is as insignificant as he claims it is, there are nothing but positives to take from last night’s performance. Here are your 3 studs, and your single dud from this win against the Hawks.

Utah Jazz stud: Jordan Clarkson

Clarkson went viral before the 2021-22 season began for an exchange with a Salt Lake City reporter who didn’t recognize him. Who knew that was a harbinger of things to come: Clarkson has been unrecognizable throughout most of the season to-date.

That changed in a big way last night.

Clarkson finished with 30 points on 10/19 shooting from the field, and 4/10 shooting from three-point range. His confidence hasn’t wavered for an instant this season. Last night, he finally made good on it.

The Jazz needed a scorer to step up in Mitchell’s absence, and Clarkson was ready. He was the only Jazzman creating shots outside of the flow of the offense,  converting several unassisted triples and cutting to the basket as a primary target for Mike Conley’s assists. ‘

The Utah Jazz needed this, and even moreso, Clarkson needed it. Here’s hoping he can establish a trend of shooting efficiently for when Donovan Mitchell returns to the lineup.