Feb 15, 2021; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) looks to shoot a foul shot in the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Jordan Clarkson erupted for 40 points off the bench as the Utah Jazz overpowered the Philadelphia 76ers 134-123 in the NBA’s clash of the conference leaders on Monday.
Clarkson produced a dazzling display of long-range shooting, making eight of 13 attempts from beyond the arc as Utah overturned an early double-digit deficit to score a convincing win at Salt Lake City’s Vivint Arena.
🎷 40 PTS, 8 3PM for @JordanClarksons
🎷 1st UTA player w/ 8 3s off the bench
Jordan Clarkson leads the @utahjazz to their 19th win in 20 games! pic.twitter.com/If51imbBsx
— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2021
Utah talisman Donovan Mitchell finished with 24 points while Australian veteran Joe Ingles delivered 20.
Sixers star Ben Simmons saw a record-breaking 42-point display — the highest ever tally by an Australian player in an NBA game — end in defeat.
Simmons was in superb shooting form, making 12-of-13 free throws while supplying 12 assists. Team-mate Tobias Harris had 36 points with 10 rebounds.
But the night belonged to Clarkson, whose high-scoring cameo saw the Jazz stretch their lead at the top of the Western Conference to 23-5, and extended the team’s unbeaten streak to eight games.
Ben Simmons is BALLIN’ 😤
He has a career-high 42 and counting pic.twitter.com/WBT0QPs7JC
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 16, 2021
“It feels good,” Clarkson said. “The biggest thing is we just got another win. We’re trying to keep it going, trying to keep getting better every time we step on the floor. That’s what it’s about at the end of the day.”
Philadelphia, who lead the Eastern Conference at 18-10, got off to a fast start, with Harris’s floating jump shot putting the visitors 14 points clear at 24-10 midway through the first.
Utah gradually chipped away at the lead, however, with Ingles cutting the deficit to just seven points at the end of the first quarter.
The Australian then got Utah to within one with a three-pointer early in the second period to make it 46-45.
Utah finally moved into the lead just before half-time, turning around six points clear at the break.
Another Mitchell three-pointer put Utah 86-74 ahead in the third quarter, and they maintained a 12-point lead heading into the final period with the score at 106-94.
Clarkson brought up his 40-point tally with a three-pointer to put Utah 121-112 ahead before the hosts closed out a decisive win.