Three reasons the Sixers lost at Utah
The Sixers were unable to stop Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles.
Despite a career-high 42 points from Ben Simmons, the 76ers ended their road trip Monday with a 134-123 loss to the Utah Jazz and a three-game losing streak.
Here are three reasons Utah, the No. 1 team in the Western Conference, was able to beat the No. 1 team in the East.
Clarkson was unconscious
Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson showed why he is a major Sixth Man of the Year candidate. The Sixers used a variety of defenders on him and had no answer. Clarkson scored 40 points, hitting 13 of 20 shots from the field, including 8 of 13 from three-point range, and making 6 of 7 free throws.
Clarkson was hitting shots off the dribble, as seen here.
He was effective in catch-and-shoot situations, as he demonstrated on this play over Seth Curry. On many of Clarkson’s three-pointers, Curry was guarding him, and the Sixers guard had a tough time.
Stopping Ingles in the open floor
Utah’s Joe Ingles won’t blow by defenders with sheer quickness, but he plays at a stop-and-go pace that is hard to contain. Ingles consistently hurt the Sixers by either penetrating and scoring or dishing off to teammates, as he did on this play to Rudy Gobert.
Of his eight field goals, two were three-pointers, but the other six were from 12 feet and in. Ingles was constantly getting within range. In addition to scoring 20 points, he added five assists. Ingles got a little sloppy with three turnovers, but he played mostly under control and the Sixers had trouble stopping his dribble.
Three-point defense
The Jazz shot 18-for-45 from three-point range (40%), and the Sixers were 8-for-23 (34.8%). Clarkson had as many made threes as the Sixers.
While we have lauded the spacing in Doc Rivers’ offense that allows players more room to operate, Utah, under Quin Snyder, takes it to another level. The Jazz had open shooters all night from the three-point area.
On this play, Clarkson had plenty of time to get his shot off after taking a pass from Royce O’Neale.
Two of the Jazz’s better three-point shooters, Bojan Bogdanovic and Donovan Mitchell, were a combined 2-for-14. Imagine if they were on the mark.