Jordan Clarkson’s career night lifts Utah Jazz over Kings
Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson has been the subject of scrutiny here at the J-Notes in 2021-22. We’re not going to retract our criticisms: they’ve largely been deserved. We are going to ensure that we give credit where it’s due: Clarkson was incredible last night.
More incredible, in fact, than he’s ever been in his career. Clarkson scored a career high 45 points en route to a 134-125 Utah Jazz victory over the Sacramento Kings.
This is a game recap, but if you take one point away from it, take this one: Jordan Clarkson played like a superstar last night.
Utah Jazz guard silences doubters
The main point of contention with Clarkson’s performance in 2021-22 has been his shooting efficiency. Nobody could make that complaint last night. He was 15/21 from the field and 7/13 from downtown.
Clarkson’s shot selection in this contest was pristine. Of course, he was also so hot that any shot was well-selected. He hit tough jumpers, floaters, driving layups: effectively, any shot you can imagine.
It’s too easy to say that this version of Clarkson should show up more often. If he was scoring 45 points a night, he’d be the best player in the NBA, and the Utah Jazz would have traded Donovan Mitchell for several 3-and-D wings.
It’s still a welcomed reminder of how talented the spark plug guard is.
Utah Jazz lean into depth
Clarkson wasn’t the only Jazzman to show up last night.
One that didn’t was Rudy Gobert. Literally. He was a late scratch with a leg injury. Hopefully, he heals as quickly as possible.
In the meantime, Hassan Whiteside has his job covered. The reserve bigman finished with 12 points to go with a whopping 21 rebounds and 3 blocks. At this point, Whiteside might be the most fruitful insurance policy in the NBA.
Mike Conley was out for rest, which in a roundabout way opened up minutes for Danuel House Jr. He only finished with 7 points in 25 minutes. He also only shot 2/3 from the field, with all of those attempts coming from deep. More importantly, his defensive effort was key to this victory.
Utah Jazz star still shines
Donovan Mitchell spent much of yesterday evening deferring to Jordan Clarkson. He deserves credit for doing so.
He still finished with 25 points on 11/22 shooting from the field. He also chipped in 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Mitchell’s ability to still deliver a star performance in the midst of his teammate’s career night is a testament to his malleability.
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Jordan Clarkson won’t give the Utah Jazz 45 points on a regular basis. Nobody is capable of that. Still, Clarkson, Mitchell and the rest of the squad deserve credit for preserving this shorthanded win.