Clarkson, Jazz obliterate slumping Sixers

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 27 points, Rudy Gobert logged his 11th double-double of the young season and the Utah Jazz snapped out of a mini-funk by dominating the Philadelphia 76ers in a 120-85 home victory on Tuesday, November 16 (Wednesday, November 17, Manila time).

Gobert took advantage of the Sixers being without Joel Embiid, who has missed five consecutive games – all losses – because of COVID-19 protocols.

The Jazz center scored 15 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, and blocked 4 shots while helping Utah win for just the second time in six games. He spearheaded a Jazz defense that limited Philadelphia to 36.7% shooting.

Bogdanovic hit 9-of-12 shots overall and 5-of-7 from three-point range to lead a Utah offense that made 51.7% of its field goal attempts and earned its largest margin of victory this season.

Four other Utah players reached double digits: Jordan Clarkson (20 points with 4 three-pointers), Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell (13 apiece), and Hassan Whiteside (10).

Shake Milton scored 18 points and Tyrese Maxey added 16 points for the Sixers, who have lost five in a row after reeling off a six-game winning streak. This was the second stop on a five-game road trip for Philadelphia.

Utah, which lost the first two games on its four-game homestand, led by only two points after the first quarter. That changed quickly, though, as the Jazz opened the second quarter on a 14-point scoring streak thanks, in part, to 6 points from Clarkson.

Furkan Korkmaz finally put the Sixers on the scoreboard at the 7:56 mark of the quarter. Minutes later, however, Clarkson and Bogdanovic hit three-pointers during an 8-0 run, putting the Jazz up 52-32.

The third quarter was much of the same, with the Jazz scoring the first 5 points and starting the second half on a 15-4 spurt. Utah’s 16-point halftime lead blossomed to 31, 97-66, after three quarters. – Rappler.com