Jordan Clarkson's defensive stand (wait, what?) gives Jazz first win of season

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SALT LAKE CITY — Kawhi Leonard crossed to the left and crossed to the right, trying to free himself — none of it worked. He ball faked to the right, spun to the left and faked again. Still, he couldn't get open.

In the end, Leonard had to pass the ball out and then got it back only to fire up a contested shot to beat the clock. It missed.

The LA Clippers star forward — one of the game's best offensive threats — had 15 seconds to find a good final shot, but Jordan Clarkson never let him

Yes, that Jordan Clarkson. The same player who was once seen as nothing but a gunner off the bench put the clamps down on The Claw.

That defensive stand helped Utah escape with a 120-118 win over the Clippers Friday at the Delta Center to get their first victory of the season.

"I would have jumped on at least two of those pump fakes on that last play with Kawhi after all those pivots, but Jordan's discipline was unbelievable," Jazz coach Will Hardy said.

Hardy is nothing but a believer in growth. He challenged Clarkson to add playmaking into his game last season, and the guard responded by having a career year in assists. This year's challenge? Get more physical on defense.

If Friday is any indication, he's taken that to heart as well.

Clarkson's stat line didn't pop off the page — 13 points on 13 shots, six assists and four rebounds — but it was his defense on Leonard down the stretch that essentially won Utah the game.

"It's proof that all players are capable of growth," Hardy said."I think there are times where we just assume that once people get to a certain age they just are what they are. But Jordan has made a real commitment to broaden his game and he leaves tonight with six assists and having a defensive impact on the game. I think 12 months ago, that may not have been something we predicted for Jordan."

Locking down Leonard may have been new, but what he did just before it certainly was not.

Clarkson had the ball in his hands when the clock ticked down to a half-minute remaining. Utah trailed by one and his goal was to give his team at least two cracks at a potential game-winning (or at least a game-tying) bucket. So he created a tiny bit of space, leaned back and fired up a 3-pointer for a 2-for-1 opportunity.

Like Clarkson has done so many times before, he nailed the off-balance shot to give Utah the late lead and sending the home crowd into pandemonium.

On the other end of the court, he then made sure that shot would prove to be the game-winner.

"Some of it's just effort," Clarkson said of his defense. "(Assistant coach) Lamary Skeeter has been showing me a lot of film on guys offensively and defensively to see what they do. I'm just trying to mimic what other guys do on defense, honestly, and then hope for the best."

It worked out for the best for him on Friday.

"He (Leonard) hit a bunch of moves, shot fakes, spins, just happy I stayed down and didn't bite for any of the fakes," Clarkson said. "He ended by losing the ball and missing the shot. Game over."

With that, the Jazz survived a Clippers rally from 14 points down, and went on a 17-4 run early in the fourth quarter to take the lead. The Jazz, though, responded. They got some ridiculous shots from Kelly Olynyk — namely two straight 3-pointers, including one where he fell down on — as well as a huge game from Lauri Markkanen.

The All-Star forward had 35 points and 12 rebounds, and his tip-in with 48 seconds left gave the Jazz a late lead.

"The nightmare of 0-82 is over now," Markkanen quipped after the game.

He was quick to credit Clarkson's improved defense for that, too. And that improvement goes right in line with the program that Hardy has built. Markkanen went from role player to an All-Star, Kris Dunn went from out of the league to a rock solid NBA player, and now Clarkson has become someone who can stay in front of one of the league's best.

"Everybody is trying to prove something wrong, like to themselves or somebody else," Markkanen said. "Everybody has that chip. And it starts with practice. We see it every day, just kind of competing against each other and putting the work in. So I think it's a good combination. When we come together as a team, it leads to great things."