The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Robert Andaya
The Philippines may have lost all its three assignments in the FIBA World Cup 2023, but NBA veteran Jordan Clarkson is surely living up to his role as the country’s go-to-guy.
A former NBA “Sixth Man of the Year” awardee with the Utah Jazz in 2021, the 6-5 Clarkson is the first player to combine for more than 20 points and more than five assists in his first three games in the FIBA World Cup.
The 31-year-old Filipino American from Tampa, Florida has also become only the eighth player to have scored more than 20 points in each of his first three games in a FIBA World Cup tournament, as per BasketNews.
Clarkson finished with 28 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals in 34 minutes in the Philippines’ opening-day setback to Dominican Republic and three-time NBA AllStar Karl-Anthony Towns last Aug. 25.
Two days later, Clarkson tallied 21points, seven assists and three rebounds in almost 39 minutes against Angola.
Then Clarkson made 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists while playing for 37 minutes against Italy last Aug. 29.
At the same time, Gilas Pilipinas have become the first host team since Colombia in 1982 to lose their first three games in the tournament.
Gilas Pilipinas will continue fighting in the 17th-32nd-place round with hopes of capturing the lone ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games reserved for the World Cup’s best-placed team from Asia.