SALT LAKE CITY — Jordan Clarkson seems to have a special connection with Utah.
The guard, who hasn’t seen much playtime with the Knicks lately, really shone against the Jazz, scoring a season-high 27 points off the bench. His efforts helped the Knicks pull off an impressive comeback from an 18-point deficit to win 134-117, avoiding what could’ve been a tough loss.
His contribution was crucial, particularly as his fellow backcourt players struggled on Wednesday. Mikal Bridges had a rough night with only 5 points, shooting 2-of-9 and finding himself benched in the fourth quarter, while Jalen Brunson also faced early challenges.
At 33, Clarkson played a vital role in a second-half surge, which allowed the Knicks (42-25) to take the lead and end their two-game losing streak.
However, the first quarter was a disaster for the Knicks. With Josh Hart sidelined due to a sore knee, Landry Shamet stepped into the starting lineup, but the team quickly fell behind.
Utah’s Bryce Sensabaugh lit it up, scoring 10 points in just six minutes, contributing to a 41-point first quarter for the Jazz. The Knicks found themselves down by 15.
This marked Hart’s first missed game in over a month, and it was evident they were missing his energy, as he’d been in need of rest in recent outings.
The starting lineup was down by eight points before the first substitution was made.
Some momentum returned for the Knicks in the second quarter, thanks in part to Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 13 of his 21 points. Nevertheless, they still trailed by nine at halftime.
But then Brunson began to find his rhythm, and Clarkson seemed to turn back the clock. Brunson scored 18 of his 28 points in the second half, while Clarkson shot an impressive 10-of-15 from the field and grabbed five rebounds in 26 minutes.
This season has been tough for the Jazz (20-46), with players dealing with numerous injuries. Jaren Jackson Jr. had knee surgery, Jusuf Nurkic had a deviated septum fixed for better sleep, and Walker Kessler had shoulder surgery in November. Lauri Markkanen has also missed significant time with a hip injury. With this record, the Jazz are sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference.
Interestingly, nobody in the starting lineup was over 22 years old, with rookie Ace Bailey at just 19. Yet they were hitting 3-point shots confidently, making 14 of 21 in the first half.
However, age showed in their defensive play. The Knicks finished the game shooting 52 percent from the field, racking up 37 assists compared to just 10 turnovers, and they scored 78 points in the second half.
This matchup was one of the lighter parts of the Knicks’ season; they were up against teams with a combined win percentage of only 31% through Wednesday.
Still, the Knicks knew they needed to clean up their turnovers, especially after recent losses to the Clippers and Lakers. They initially struggled but gradually started being more aggressive in their offense.
“We just needed to go back to basics, not turning the ball over, and giving ourselves more chances,” Brunson said. “We still had opportunities to win the last game, but we needed to work on connecting better and finding opportunities to score without making mistakes.”
