Jazz's Jordan Clarkson Had Honest Statement After Returning vs. Suns

The Utah Jazz got their sixth man back after almost a three-week absence.

Dec 13, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) and Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) reach for a loose ball during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The Utah Jazz couldn't get on the winning side of things on Friday night, as they lost 126-134 in a shootout against the Phoenix Suns to take them to a 5-18 record for the regular season.

However, it was a good showing from Jordan Clarkson in his first game back on the floor in almost three weeks.

In 31 minutes, Clarkson led the Jazz with 23 points, also posting two rebounds and four assists alongside it. The 11-year vet was also efficient in his looks, shooting 8/13 from the field and 4/6 from deep. He was among the large group in this game that had a strong performance on the offensive end, as both teams shot a combined 52.3% from three on the night.

After the game, Clarkson was asked how it felt to be back on the floor after being absent from the lineup in recent weeks.

"It felt great to get back on the floor," Clarkson said. "Sucks being on the sideline. Just wanted to come out here and hoop, try to compete and get a win... Coming back home, feeling this crowd energy, doing all of that-- it felt good. Just getting back into rhythm, flow, practice... I think we did a good job of finding open shots and playing in the flow of the game today."

Friday was a much improved showing on the offense end for Clarkson, who's had some ups and downs in terms of efficiency starting this season. In 14 games, the former Sixth Man of the Year has averaged 15.6 points, but shoots 40.6% from the field and 30.2% from three. His ability as a spark plug scorer is evident, but shooting a career-low from the field hasn't done much good for the Jazz offense on the year.

If Clarkson can continue similar splits from what we saw vs. the Suns moving forward this season, the Utah offense could see some significant strides in the right direction-- and this unit needs some help. They rank 22nd of 30 teams in the NBA for offensive rating at 111.1, and while Friday showed positive signs on that end, consistency has to build for wins to get stamped.

Clarkson and the Jazz will have their next chance to get a sixth win on the season come Monday, when Utah gets back on the road to face the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome.

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