Jordan Clarkson, Jazz escape thrilling overtime battle with win-hungry Pistons

Fil-Am star Jordan Clarkson buries a huge triple late in overtime and finishes with 36 points to lift the Utah Jazz past the win-starved Detroit Pistons

Jordan Clarkson scored 36 points and Lauri Markkanen had 31 to lift the Utah Jazz to a thrilling 154-148 overtime win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night (Thursday, January 4, Manila time) in Salt Lake City.

Utah shot 51.5 percent overall, including 16-of-32 from 3-point range, en route to tying a franchise record for points in a game.

Clarkson, who had the Jazz’s first triple-double in nearly 16 years on Monday, scored 16 points in the fourth quarter and then drained a big 3-pointer late in overtime.

Collin Sexton added 25 points for Utah, which continued its best stretch of the season by winning for the ninth time in 12 games. Simone Fontecchio had 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Former Jazz players Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks helped Detroit put up its biggest offensive night of the season. Bogdanovic led the team with 36 points and eight 3-pointers, while Burks scored 27 points, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to tie the score in regulation.

Cade Cunningham compiled 31 points and 13 assists for Detroit, which lost for the second straight time since ending its NBA-record 28-game losing streak. Jalen Duren totaled 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Pistons, who shot 53.3 percent.

The Jazz seized momentum quickly in overtime with a dunk from Walker Kessler (eight points, eight rebounds) and a Sexton basket. Moments later, Clarkson hit yet another deep trey with under two minutes left to give the Jazz a seven-point lead.

Cunningham made a 3-pointer with 7.1 seconds left to trim Utah’s lead to three, but Sexton sealed the win with two clutch free throws.

The end of the fourth quarter was a wild back-and-forth exchange.

The Jazz went ahead on a late 7-0 run, with Clarkson scoring followed by a Kessler dunk. After a missed Bogdanovic shot, Clarkson drained a 3-pointer to put Utah up 135-132 with 32 seconds remaining.

Bogdanovic then tied it with his eighth trey with 15.1 seconds remaining.

The final five seconds included a Markkanen deep 3-pointer and Burks’ equalizer.

The Pistons set the tone early, jumping out to a 14-6 lead after Bogdanovic’s first 3-pointer. Detroit led 33-26 after the first quarter and clung to a 68-66 halftime lead. – Rappler.com