2 studs and 1 dud from Utah Jazz win over 76ers
Utah Jazz dud: Jordan Clarkson
We’re going to resist jokes about how frequently Clarkson has found himself in this section of a J-Notes studs and duds feature. Really, we are. He’s been better lately, and players of his archetype will always be prone to bouts of inefficiency.
Having said that, he was the only sore spot in an otherwise wonderful Utah Jazz performance last night. It has to be acknowledged. Clarkson finished this game with 11 points on 4/12 shooting from the field, and 3/10 shooting from three-point range. It’s also worth noting that a couple of those baskets came in the depths of garbage time.
He was a total non-factor. It matters substantially less with the Utah Jazz on the heels of six consecutive wins. The team now sits at 18-7, and the results of this recent streak indicate that they can be unstoppable when Clarkson performs well, and still be dominant when he struggles. That’s a great ceiling/floor combination.
They’ll still benefit from better performances from Clarkson than the one they got last night.
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Any win that comes on the tail end of a back-to-back is a big win in the NBA. The Utah Jazz may have been fortunate that the 76ers were in the same position, but they showed guts and determination to outlast a team that had won four of its last five. They’ll take a break tonight before squaring off with the Washington Wizards on Saturday.