Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson's face during viral Luka Doncic mistake becomes a meme
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Not too many gave the Utah Jazz a chance as they hosted the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night. Even though the Mavericks were without Kyrie Irving, the odds were still stacked against the Jazz on the night. But no one told Jordan Clarkson and John Collins that as they spearheaded Utah’s 115-113 victory that was aided in the end by an inexcusable defensive mistake from Luka Doncic.
With the game tied at 113, the Jazz decided not to take a timeout — with this proving to be the best decision for Will Hardy and company. Off the inbounds, Clarkson took control of the basketball and was isolated against Naji Marshall at the top of the key. Clarkson then sensed that the Mavericks were out of sorts on defense during that possession, and he and Collins ended up being on the same page — with the Jazz guard’s eyes telling the whole story before he dished the rock to Collins.
Jordan Clarkson knew John Collins would be open.
pic.twitter.com/kct0WCU8Cqhttps://t.co/HWfUAWlg5t
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) November 15, 2024
To start the possession, Doncic had already assumed a free-roam position. Clarkson, however, bided his time. The Jazz guard then saw Quentin Grimes assume a higher defensive position, and by then, Doncic was caught in no man’s land — opening up the passing lane for Clarkson to hit Collins on what ended up being a wide-open dunk.
This game is the perfect example of why veteran talent is necessary to keep around even on rebuilding teams. Without Clarkson and Collins, it’s likely that the Jazz still have not won a single game this season. The future of the franchise may be resting on the shoulders of the younger players, but in crunch time, having experienced players is crucial, especially for a rebuilding team that’s in desperate need of building some winning habits.
Jordan Clarkson and John Collins rescue Jazz from a choke job
With 11:20 left in the fourth quarter, it looked as though the Jazz were going to run away with the game after they took a 101-85 lead over the Mavericks. But even with Luka Doncic on the bench, the Mavs mounted a furious comeback, with Naji Marshall doing a ton of damage as he pushed the pace on multiple occasions for Dallas.
In the end, the Jazz had to rely on their veterans to take them across the finish line as the victors. Jordan Clarkson and John Collins combined to score the Jazz’s final nine points of the game, with the latter, of course, dealing the decisive blow against the Mavericks.
When the Mavericks took a 110-108 lead with 1:33 to go, it was Clarkson that took Quentin Grimes all the way to the cup for an and-one layup. The Jazz then followed that up with a Collins dunk, giving them a 113-110 lead. After Klay Thompson tied the game with a triple, Clarkson and Collins then combined to strike the dagger into the Mavs’ hearts — with Clarkson recalling his mind-meld with Collins during that very scenario.
“I’m just happy me and John had some like, telekinesis action going on. I mean, just read my eyes and knew what I was looking for,” Clarkson recounted, per Ryan Miller of KSL.
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