Jordan Clarkson of the Philippines is undoubtedly a player to watch at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. However, the Utah Jazz star needs to be wiser when he is on the hardwood and acclimatized to the international brand of play.
Against the Dominican Republic, led by another NBA player, Karl-Anthony Towns, the 2021 NBA Sixth Man of the Year awardee was undoubtedly the focal point of the Philippines.
Clarkson started slow and managed to heat up at the right time. The only problem is that the 31-year-old guard was unable to finish the game, fouling out with about three minutes left in the encounter.
Although Clarkson managed to keep his fouls in check, he had his share of unnecessary fouls in the game. One of them was an extra motion that was visibly unnecessary in the second half.
Read more: LeBron James, Family Reveal Real Reason for Bronny James' Cardiac Arrest
But the foul that forced the 6-foot-5 guard out of the game came in the fourth with 3:32 remaining. Already playing on borrowed time, Clarkson was called for an offensive foul that many felt was questionable and poorly timed, USA Today reported.
Clarkson, who finished with 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists, was understandably upset with the 87-81 loss.
However, despite the blown chance to win, he knows that they still have a lot of opportunities to make up for that sorry loss in their next games, FIBA.com reported.
"I'm a little upset. The game is physical. Some things didn't go our way towards the end. Playing physical is part of the FIBA game, we understand that. We had a chance to win the game. The crowd was amazing. They supported us. I'm upset that we lost but we have more games here," Clarkson stated.
Related Article: James Harden Needs to Deal With Reality, Stop Being a 'Prima Donna'
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.