Clarkson erupts for 38
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Jordan Clarkson scored a season-high 38 points, including a 12-0 run down the stretch, to boost the Utah Jazz over the Washington Wizards 127-115 on Monday night.
“Being able to watch and see what they were doing from the bench and then come in and finish was big,” Clarkson said. Collin Sexton scored 29 points and John Collins added 17 points, 15 rebounds and a career-high six blocks for Utah (28-34), who had lost eight of nine. “I just wanted to come out aggressively to protect the rim,” Collins said, and left the rest to Utah’s prolific guards. “Collin and Jordan are big time scorers, big time players in this league and they make my job a lot easier.” The Wizards led 113-111 with 5:21 to play but didn’t make another field goal the rest of the way and extended their losing streak to 15. Clarkson made 5 of 6 shots in his game-deciding surge and now has the most 30-plus point games as a reserve in team history (13). He also tallied 10 rebounds and seven assists to lead the short-handed Jazz. “It etches my time here in Utah. Winning Sixth Man of Year and all those things play a part in the history and culture that’s being built here,” said Clarkson, who became the first player off the bench to have that many points and had as many rebounds and assists as Clarkson had.
“I’m honestly more proud of his 10 rebounds than his 38 points,” Utah coach Will Hardy said.
Jordan Poole scored 32 points, Kyle Kuzma had 23 and Tyus Jones added 21 for Washington (9-52). Kuzma passed 8,000 points in his career.
“We really couldn’t do nothing with Sexton and Clarkson all night. They were getting in our paint and really putting a lot of pressure on us. Yeah, I thought it really boiled down to defense,” Kuzma said.
The Jazz played without leading scorer Lauri Markkanen (thigh) and defensive anchor Walker Kessler (foot). Keyonte George played six scoreless minutes before exiting with an illness while fellow rookie starter Taylor Hendricks left later in the first half with a sprained toe.
George had averaged 20.0 points and 6.0 assists over the previous six games and made more 3-pointers than any other player except Steph Curry during that span.
Though the two teams own the two worst records since the All-Star break, their combined shooting from distance (41 percent) in this one, against the two struggling defenses, was stellar.
Washington outscored the Jazz on fast break points, 33-14, but couldn’t score when it mattered most.