NBA: Jordan Clarkson scores 29, Jazz rally past Timberwolves
Jordan Clarkson #00 of the Utah Jazz looks on during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers in the first quarter at Moda Center on April 10, 2022 in Portland, Oregon. Abbie Parr/Getty Images/AFP
Jordan Clarkson scored 29 points and the Utah Jazz overcame a 17-point deficit to upset the Minnesota Timberwolves 132-126 in overtime Friday night in Minneapolis.
The Jazz scored the final seven points of OT to surprisingly pick up their second win of the season.
That late game-winning spurt began with a Mike Conley 3-pointer for a 128-126 lead, followed by buckets by Lauri Markkanen and Jarred Vanderbilt.
Markkanen finished with 24 points, Kelly Olynyk had 21 before fouling out late in regulation and former Minnesota player Malik Beasley added 15.
Conley had 12 points and 11 assists while helping Utah win on the road and give the Timberwolves their first loss.
Anthony Edwards scored 30, Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 and D’Angelo Russell added 23, including an OT-forcing bucket with 5.4 seconds left in regulation.
Rudy Gobert, who was traded from Utah to Minnesota in a massive trade that sent multiple players and four first-round picks to the Jazz, hauled in 23 rebounds but only scored nine points.
An absolute vintage performance from JC: 29 points, 7 threes, 6 assists ☮️#TakeNote | @ZionsBank pic.twitter.com/MKlySdpT2J
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 22, 2022
After 14 lead changes in the fourth quarter and overtime, Gobert missed two free throws with 34.3 seconds left in overtime to blow a chance to tie the game.
The Timberwolves scored the final seven points of the fourth quarter to extend the game.
Olynyk put Utah up 120-113 with 1:54 to go with a 3.
Edwards then made a driving layup and Gobert converted a three-point play and then won a critical jumpball with 20.3 seconds left to give Minnesota a chance to tie it up.
The Timberwolves scored the first five points and surged ahead by as many as 17 points late in the opening quarter.
The new-look Jazz weren’t about to give up, going on an 8-2 spurt early in the second.
The teams played even the rest of the quarter, with Minnesota taking a 64-55 lead into the break
Utah opened the third quarter on an 11-2 run thanks to 3-pointers from Olynyk, Clarkson and Conley.
The Jazz continued their hot play, going ahead by seven, 77-70, in the quarter thanks to a 22-6 run capped by a Markkanen dunk.
Minnesota answered with an 11-4 spurt, helping to cut Utah’s lead after three to one.
