Clarkson’s first career triple-double resets record by Utah player
Jordan Clarkson (left) finds a way to dish off an assist despite pressure from Dwight Powell. The Gilas star finished with 20 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. (USA TODAY SPORTS)
Jordan Clarkson finally notched the first triple-double of his National Basketball Association career on Monday night, one made special when it came more than 15 years after a Utah Jazz player last registered one.
The 31-year-old Gilas Pilipinas star fired 20 points that went with 11 assists and 10 rebounds and helped the Jazz avenge a 50-point loss to Dallas with a 127-90 victory as fans cheered the Filipino-American when he grabbed his final rebound with 2:28 left.
“All the way up to the rebound, I was nervous,” said Clarkson, who has suited up in a number of international tournaments for Gilas, the last being in the Fiba (International Basketball Federation) World Cup last year in Manila where he played to an adoring throng each night.
It was the first triple-double (T-D) in the regular season by any Jazz players since Carlos Boozer had one on Feb. 13, 2008, and even more unbelievable was that Clarkson’s stats line was the first T-D by a Jazz reserve in more than 40 years when big man Mark Eaton had 12 points, 14 rebounds and 12 blocks on Feb. 5, 1983.
The Mavericks trounced the Jazz, 147-97, in Dallas on Dec. 6. Luka Doncic, who had a first-half triple-double in that blowout, finished with 19 points, 14 assists and six rebounds on Monday. Kyrie Irving returned from a 12-game heel injury absence and had 14 points, nine rebounds and four assists for Dallas.
Utah, which has won eight of its past 11 games, controlled the play for much of the night and used a 25-2 run in the second half to blow the game open.
On-court celebration
Clarkson got his first T-D in his 685th regular-season game, and 728th game of his career. He was a second-round pick, the 46th overall, in the 2014 draft by the Washington Wizards before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. He was later traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2019 and moved to the Jazz.
Clarkson chased that final rebound a number of times and called timeout when he finally did. His teammates celebrated with him on the floor and the home crowd erupted in cheers.
“He’s adapted to a new role and he’s really trying to expand how he contributes to winning,” Will Hardy, the Utah coach, said. “It’s not just about scoring points. If I could have picked somebody on our team right now to break the streak, it would have been Jordan.”
Simone Fontecchio led the Jazz with 24 points, with Lauri Markkanen shooting 17 points.
“It feels good to start the year off right,” Markkanen said.
Elsewhere, Pascal Siakam scored 36 points and Toronto defeated visiting Cleveland, 124-121, as Scottie Barnes added 20 points for the Raptors, who had lost their previous two games. RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley made their Toronto debuts after being acquired from the New York Knicks on Saturday. Barrett scored 19 points and Quickley had 14.
Caris LeVert scored 31 points and Donovan Mitchell scored 26 for the Cavaliers. Jarrett Allen had 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Isaac Okoro and Sam Merrill also scored 16 points apiece.
Over in Milwaukee, Tyrese Haliburton scored 26 points and Bennedict Mathurin dropped 25 to lead Indiana to a 122-113 win over the Bucks, who saw a 15-game home winning streak come to an end.
Haliburton and Mathurin each had a double-double, with Haliburton dishing out 11 assists and Mathurin grabbing 13 boards. Isaiah Jackson added 18 points and nine rebounds.
—WITH REPORTS FROM REUTERS
