Clarkson, Jazz claim another heavyweight in Nuggets
SALT LAKE CITY—Jordan Clarkson came off the bench to fire 27 points and hand out nine assists, helping the Utah Jazz start out hot on the way to a 124-111 dismantling of the defending National Basketball Association (NBA) champion Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night.
Lauri Markkanen added 26 points and 12 rebounds as the Jazz won for the ninth time in their past 11 games. Utah has won its last three, all against elite teams, beginning with road victories over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday and the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.
Collin Sexton scored 22 points and John Collins added 15 for Utah, which led by as many as 25 points. The Jazz shot 55.4 percent from the field and knocked down 13 of 33 three-point attempts.
Nikola Jokic had 27 points on 8-of-9 shooting and collected 11 rebounds for Denver, which lost for just the fourth time in its last 16 games. Jamal Murray added 17 points, while Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope tallied 12 points apiece for the Nuggets.
Denver has lost six straight road games against the Jazz and 15 of their past 16.
Second fastest
Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama recorded the second-fastest triple-double in NBA history and San Antonio rolled past host Detroit, 130-108.Wembanyama racked up 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in just 21 minutes for his first NBA triple-double. Russell Westbrook compiled a triple-double in 20 minutes in 2014. Keldon Johnson added 17 points and Devin Vassell had 16 as eight Spurs scored in double figures.
The Pistons dropped to 3-35 while losing their sixth straight. They have lost 34 of their past 35 games. Detroit was playing for the second time without top scorer Cade Cunningham, who has a strained left knee.
Utah led by 18 at halftime and then started the third quarter with a 7-2 run to increase its lead to 78-55 with 9:51 left.
Denver scored 16 of the next 22 points to move within 84-71 on Murray’s basket with 5:27 left. The Nuggets then went nearly five minutes without a field goal as the Jazz went on a 15-4 burst and took a 99-75 lead on Kelly Olynyk’s 16-foot jumper with 55.1 seconds remaining. —Reuters
