Philippines' Jordan Clarkson (R) shoots over Dominican Republic's Gelvis Solano during the FIBA Basketball World Cup group A match between Philippines and Dominican Republic at Philippine Arena in Bocaue on August 25, 2023. (Photo by SHERWIN VARDELEON / AFP) (Photo by SHERWIN VARDELEON/AFP via Getty Images)
Jordan Clarkson has major game and helps break FIBA World Cup record
The Utah Jazz guard had a major outing in defeat.
Jordan Clarkson arrived in the Philippines as the new face of the team and he lived up to those lofty expectations in his first official game of the World Cup. Playing in front of the home country at the Philippine Arena, Clarkson was a key reason why the team nearly defeated one of the top teams in the tournament, the Dominican Republic.
The Dominican Republic is being led by Karl-Anthony Towns, and they stand to test a lot of teams in the tournament this year. So it’s impressive that Clarkson was not only able to keep the Philippines close all game, but had the game he did; scoring a game-high 28 points, while pulling down seven rebounds and dishing out seven assists.
Clarkson was a man on fire, but unfortunately, he couldn’t keep himself out of foul, and fouled out with 3:32 left in the game, and with the Philippines hanging onto a three-point lead.
Clearly, the home team was a crowd favorite, in part due to Clarkson’s arrival and the hype around him. The country already had murals up of Clarkson before his gutsy performance, and the fans are letting the world know that it’s not just a passing fancy, as the FIBA World Cup posted its largest crowd ever for a game, with 38,115 fans in attendance.
The love affair for this team in the host country is real, and Clarkson deserves some of that love. He nearly led the Philippines to an upset against one of the better teams in the tournament. If he’s able to help his squad rebound and come back in their second game against Angola on Sunday, they’ll be sitting pretty to even make the second round.
That said, even if they do get past Angola, they’ll still have to hope that Italy beats the Dominican Republic, while eventually beating Italy themselves. Even then, the tie-breaker may not be in their favor.
If Angola defeats the Dominican Republic, then the Philippines can win out and get in. Otherwise, it’s anyone’s guess.
