Jordan Clarkson gets up for the beautiful slam dunk
SALT LAKE CITY — \u2014 Jordan Clarkson<\/a> scored 30 points and Lauri Markkanen<\/a> added 21 points and nine rebounds, leading the Utah Jazz<\/a> to a 115-99 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers<\/a> in an NBA In-Season Tournament game on Tuesday night.
John Collins<\/a> had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Jazz. Kelly Olynyk<\/a> finished with 12 points and a season-high 12 rebounds. Keyonte George<\/a> added 15 points and Collin Sexton<\/a> 13. George and Sexton each had seven assists.
Utah won its second straight tournament game, while Portland, which dropped its fourth straight overall, slipped to 1-1 in West Group A play.
Tenacious defense opened a door to consecutive victories for the Jazz. Utah forced a season-high 11 steals and routinely disrupted the Blazers\u2019 offensive rhythm at key moments throughout the game.
\u201cWe\u2019re trying to be more active as a group,\u201d Jazz coach Will Hardy said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to lean into our speed. Be a little bit more proactive on that end and I think it\u2019s been very good for us.\u201d
Jerami Grant<\/a> led Portland with 26 points. Deandre Ayton<\/a> added 22 points and 10 rebounds and Shaedon Sharpe<\/a> finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Skylar Mays<\/a> had a game-high 10 assists.
Clarkson gave Utah an early spark with his shooting. He started 6 for 6 from the floor and scored 14 points in the first quarter. Clarkson capped a 10-2 run with a steal and dunk \u2013 his final basket in the opening period \u2014 to give the Jazz a 29-19 lead.
Utah did not commit a turnover in the game\u2019s first 15 minutes. Portland struggled to hold onto the ball, and its sloppiness was costly. The Jazz scored 16 points off 12 Portland turnovers in the first half.
\u201cWe\u2019ve got to take care of the ball,\u201d Grant said. \u201cWith a lot of new people in the rotation, we\u2019re trying to figure each other out.\u201d
Taking care of the ball gave Utah plenty of offensive momentum. The Jazz opened the second quarter by scoring baskets on four straight possessions, punctuated by a 3-pointer from Olynyk off a steal that extended Utah\u2019s lead to 45-31.
Portland chipped away at the deficit throughout the third quarter behind steady shooting from Grant and Ayton. The duo combined for nine baskets and cut Utah\u2019s lead to 87-84 late in the quarter. Each time the Trail Blazers threatened to overtake the Jazz, Clarkson countered with timely baskets to keep Utah a step ahead.
\u201cWe were decisive with everything \u2014 shoot, pass, dribble,\u201d Clarkson said. \u201cThat was a big thing with us tonight. Everybody made their decisions quick.\u201d
The Jazz ended Portland\u2019s comeback hopes in the fourth quarter. Markkanen scored three baskets to fuel a decisive 13-0 run that put Utah ahead 108-93 with 5:40 remaining.
\u201cWe were stuck on 93 for I don\u2019t know how long,\u201d Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. \u201cWe created some decent shots, not great, but decent. We just couldn\u2019t make shots and we seem to have those kind of stretches.\u201d
Utah held an opponent under 100 points for the first time under Hardy, ending a streak of 92 games, dating to April, 2022. The accomplishment offered a step forward for a defense that\u2019s been beleaguered at times early in the season.
\u201cWe should do that more often,\u201d joked Markkanen, who had his sixth straight 20-point game.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: Host the Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a> on Wednesday night.
Jazz: Host the Phoenix Suns<\/a> on Friday in another tournament game.
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AP NBA: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/NBA<\/a><\/p>\n