SALT LAKE CITY — With the way the Utah Jazz dominated the second half of Wednesday’s Game 2 of their playoff series against the Denver Nuggets behind a masterful performance from Donovan Mitchell, Jordan Clarkson’s first-half effort might be seen as a footnote, but his stellar play was huge for the Jazz when the game was still very much in the balance.
Clarkson wound up scoring 26 points on the day, just four behind Mitchell’s game-high 30, but his 16 in the first half were especially impactful as Utah was trying to gain separation, and his hustle on the defensive end of the floor garnered appreciation from his coach.