Jordan Clarkson takes it to ‘another level’, scoring 40 points and taking the Utah Jazz to another victory

When Jordan Clarkson first showed up in Monday’s game at Vivint Arena at 7:11 of the first quarter, his Utah Jazz was behind the Philadelphia 76ers to lead the Eastern Conference by 10 points. Just under three minutes later, he had pierced four straight three points and unleashed a stagnant and struggling attack.

When Clarkson last left on Monday, there was 4:48 left to play, the Jazz had nine and Joe Ingles felt a sense of guilt as he replaced his teammate in the roster.

After all, by the time the Jazz finished their 134-123 win – an eighth straight win that took them 23-5 on the season – they had the combination of Clarkson’s 40 points and seemingly limitless energy to thank for it. .

“I’ve never played with someone like JC in my life – on or off the court,” Ingles said. “It’s pretty cool playing with someone who’s so attached, I guess, to their role, and so comfortable with the role they’re playing.

“He fell victim to a 3 while I was walking [to check in], and the coach told me to leave him. Then he – he won’t like me to say it – but he missed the defense, so the coach told me to come back over there to get him out, and then he did a turn 3 right after. And I was ready to come back down and give it a few more minutes, ”Ingles added. “And it was a time out after that, and I apologized to him for replacing him, but he was happy.”

Yeah, Clarkson was happy.

And his teammates, coaches and fans were also happy.

Those first four triples saved an offense that threatened to be irreparably buried by Philly’s efficiency.

“When Jordan came in and had the performance he was having, we saw it – obviously – before, but that was another level,” said coach Quin Snyder. “I thought it kept us in the game, where we were close at hand because of… him in particular. He’s not shy and we don’t want him to be.

Then Clarkson continued. And continued to keep it.

He was 19 points at halftime. He fell into a baker’s dozen in the third quarter as the Jazz turned a small advantage into a substantial advantage. He hit the 40-point mark – two shy of his career high – halfway through fourth with another great triple that slowed a Sixers rally.

He had balanced the momentum. He had changed the course of action. He had paved the way for a 19th victory in 20 games.

When asked about the origin of his seemingly endless supply of confidence, Clarkson said the way he has been embraced by all Jazz associates since his arrival has made it easy for him to go playing without remorse.

“These guys always come to the bench and tell me to keep shooting. Even when I spend the night, even when I’m hot, they still tell me to shoot the ball no matter what, tell me to play, ”Clarkson explained. “What gives me that confidence is just my teammates, my coaching staff, everyone is talking to me continually, continually embracing who I am. And it’s just love, and I really appreciate that and I’m happy that they kissed me like that.

Snyder agreed, noting that the simple act of expressing that “I believe in him, and his teammates believe in him,” apparently brings the already floating goalkeeper “to a very good place mentally.”

When asked if he could describe what it was like to be in the kind of zone it was Monday (he shot 13 of 20 overall, including 8 of 13 from beyond the arc), Clarkson shared a brief story of how assistant coach Keyon Dooling approached him during a timeout, enthusiastically praising him for the way he played and shot, he didn’t quite realize how great he was: ” I said, ‘Dude, I don’t even care. I just take the available photos. “

And that’s the best way to continue, as far as he’s concerned.

He didn’t enter the game, he explained, feeling the slightest pressure to ignite the offense, to get the team rolling. It would have taken him out of this moment – and all other moments to come.

No, he added, the key is to keep it simple: if he has a good shot, he’s going to take it.

“At the end of the day, I just do what the coach preaches, what we tell each other in the locker room – you know, step into the game, be aggressive, take the punches that are available,” Clarkson said. “I just did what the coach tells me to do and what my teammates trust me is take hits and try to make plays. And that never changes – if we’re up 20, if we’re down 15, I think my role is kind of who I am.