Jordan Clarkson lived up to his nickname ‘The Flamethrower’ for Gilas Pilipinas on Saturday night, unleashing one last fiery performance that propelled the host nation to its first-ever victory in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.
With the entire nation watching, the Utah Jazz star went on a rampage in the third period, scoring 21 crucial points in the quarter alone, including four consecutive three-pointers. This impressive display gave the Philippines a commanding 73-51 lead over China as they entered the final quarter.
Clarkson’s remarkable individual run effectively extinguished the Dragons’ hopes, and Gilas ultimately secured their only win in the tournament with a resounding 96-75 victory over China at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Saturday.
“The basket felt big at that point. We got into a good flow. Throughout the tournament, guys have been hounding me, and I’ve been aggressive but unable to find the shots and rhythm that I’m used to. But in that third quarter, my teammates found me,” recalled the 31-year-old guard, who scored 20 points in less than four minutes during the third quarter.
“We started to set good screens and get good looks, and I was able to knock them down. We just kept sticking with it. My teammates found me in transition, I hit some open shots, and they created opportunities for me,” he added.
Clarkson, who expressed his gratitude to his teammates for their role in his incredible run, also credited the crowd for inspiring him to achieve his personal tournament-high of 34 points, along with three assists, two rebounds, and a steal.
“The energy from the crowd was incredible. When you start hearing the crowd that loud, it’s hard to calm down, and I stayed hot,” said the former NBA Sixth Man of the Year.
“The crowd was just amazing. The fans were incredible. There was so much energy in there. We really wanted to secure a win and give them that.”
