Jordan Clarkson hits 8,000 career points, faces Jalen Green next
FILE –Jordan Clarkson #00 of the Utah Jazz. Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines — Jordan Clarkson is showing no signs of slowing down coming off his best season in the NBA.
Reprising his role as the Utah Jazz’s top gun off the bench, Clarkson is averaging 17.3 points through three games.
The Filipino-American guard notched a season-high 19 points on Wednesday (Manila time) to help the Jazz beat division rival Denver Nuggets, 122-108, at home.
Clarkson, 29, hit three triples with his last coming with under 30 seconds left in the third quarter that broke an 88-deadlock and pushed him to 8,000 career points.
Jordan Clarkson crosses the 8,000 point mark and the crowd loves it 🥺#Pura3Pointer | @Pura pic.twitter.com/E3FeyjqTSU
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) October 27, 2021
“I thought Jordan really gave us some boost in the first half. He got some clean looks. … He did a good job of getting into the lane when we needed to attack the rim,” said Jazz head coach Quin Snyder on the team’s website.
The 29-year-old Clarkson, last season, became the first Jazz player to win Sixth Man of the Year.
Clarkson looks to sustain his form when the Jazz visit the Rockets and their prized Filipino-American rookie Jalen Green on Friday (Manila time) in a game billed as Filipino Heritage Night.
Jalen Green put on a SHOW tonight!
📊 30 PTS
📊 4 REB
📊 3 ASTGreen is the first #Rockets rookie in history with 30+ points and 8+ threes in one game. pic.twitter.com/NAH0T2YYq8
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) October 25, 2021
The game marks the first time that two players of Filipino descent will play each other in the NBA.
Green, the second overall pick in the draft, has been solid so far with averages of 14.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists with a steal and nearly a block per game.
The 19-year-old set a Rockets franchise record when he hit eight 3-pointers in a 107-97 loss to the Boston Celtics on Monday. He also became the first rookie in Rockets history with 30 points and eight triples in a game.
