Utah
Men's basketball defeats Utah, advances to Pac-12 top three
Utah
How Big Was Jordan Clarkson’s Impact on Utah?
SALT LAKE CITY–Who knew that the number double zero would become so iconic in the state of Utah? Jordan Clarkson recently made his return home to Salt Lake City in a game against the Utah Jazz on March 11, 2026–His first time back at the Delta Center since being bought out by the team.
“That’s a home for me,” Clarkson told the New York Post before his homecoming game at the Delta Center. “I loved the organization. I love the coaching staff. Yeah, I love the city. All I had was love there.”
Even though he’s a New York Knick now, Clarkson will forever be remembered as the sixth man legend for the Jazz. Clarkson’s impact on the team and state goes way beyond his play on the court.
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The Flamethrower on the Court
The six years Clarkson spent with the Jazz saw the sixth man averaging 17.3 points per game, 3.3 assists, and 3.5 rebounds. The Jazz traded for the guard in 2019 for one purpose: putting the ball in the hoop. Upon entering the court in his second game as a Jazzman on Dec. 28, 2019, the Flamethrower made his presence known.
He scored 19 points, four rebounds, and two assists, helping the Jazz to a major blowout victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Clarkson’s accolades didn’t end there, though.
On March 12, 2022, Clarkson broke a Jazz franchise record for points scored by a player off the bench. He out-dueled Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, who scored 41 points – Clarkson managed to score 45 points, two assists, one steal, and one block.
The only other player to come close to that record is the Jazz’s new wing Brice Sensabaugh, who scored 43 points off the bench against the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 14, 2026.
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Winning Awards
One of the guard’s greatest accomplishments in his career was winning the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2021. That year, he led all bench players in scoring, averaging 18.4 points per game. He also played a monumental role in helping the Jazz secure the number one seed that year in the Western Conference.
The Sixth Man of the Year wasn’t Clarkson’s only award he earned in his time in Utah. When the NBA All-Star game returned to Salt Lake City in 2023, Clarkson competed in the Skills Challenge with teammates Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton. Team Jazz ended up winning the Skills Challenge, giving Jazz Nation something to cherish during the All-Star game’s second appearance in the Wasatch Front.
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When asked about what it meant to him, Clarkson answered: “Do it for Utah man, appreciate everyone showing up. Y’all already know, let’s keep putting out for the city, represent, love.”
The Triple-Double Drought Over!
Breaking the triple-double drought for the Jazz was something special. The great Carlos Boozer was the last player to do it on Feb. 13, 2008, beating the Seattle Super Sonics. To put that into more context, the last time the Jazz had a player record a triple-double was against a team that disbanded under 20 years ago, and the son of the player who recorded the triple-double will enter the league this year.
Jan. 1, 2024, became etched in Jazz legend. Not only was it a rematch against the Dallas Mavericks after the infamous masterpiece of dog poop game, but it further marked a new age in Jazz history. Throughout the games, fans and broadcasters began to notice Clarkson’s stats creeping up ever so slightly. The guard managed to score 20 points and 11 assists, but he was stuck on nine rebounds.
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In the waning minutes of the fourth quarter, one of the Mavericks players missed a shot, which bounced out into the air. Every other Jazz player on the court knew the mission: let Clarkson grab that rebound. The Sixth Man leapt up, grabbed the ball, and the entire stadium erupted in a frenzy. Clarkson made history, becoming a Utah legend in the process.
Changing Perceptions Off the Court
One of the many criticisms of the state of Utah is that big-name players can’t find fame and promotion within the market. Critics say the state is too small a market for anyone to acquire the sponsorships needed to really be seen.
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Clarkson broke that stigma by starring in commercials for Lululemon to promote his brand and showed up on every Coors Light billboard in Utah. He even partnered with DoorDash for a time. Besides business promotions, Clarkson showed that players, besides John Stockton and Karl Malone, can embrace Salt Lake City. Many players around the league still have misconceptions about the city and its people.
Many players still describe the town as small, boring, and void of many bars. Now, there may be some truth to that statement. The state of Utah is stricter on its drinking laws, and while it doesn’t have any fun resort casinos, the state has evolved past the 1990s. People within the state have become more forward-thinking.
Plus, there are plenty of nightlife clubs and bars in the town if you know where to go. Not to mention, Park City, Utah, isn’t that far away, which offers a similar type of lavish lifestyle as well. Also, the mountains are legitimately in your backyard.
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Clarkson embraced the city with love and care, even though most players chose to put it down. He really showed that this place was something special and that the fans will always have your back.
A Legacy of Love
Between his numerous outstanding game performances, funny moments, and everything in between, Utah will always revere and love Clarkson.
Clarkson will be welcomed back with open arms by everyone here. Maybe one day he’ll visit like Boris Diaw. Or if fate has it, he could return next year and finish the rest of his career on the Jazz. Either way, the number double zero will forever hang in the rafters of Jazz Nation’s hearts.
The post How Big Was Jordan Clarkson’s Impact on Utah? appeared first on The Lead.
Utah
Utah mom accused of kidnapping autistic son’s 11-year-old bully until he apologized
A Utah mother allegedly kidnapped her autistic son’s bully and kept him at her home until he apologized — then threatened to have her husband beat him up.
Shannon Tufuga, 40, was slapped with kidnapping charges Monday after she rolled up on her son’s 11-year-old bully while he was riding his bike around his neighborhood in early September, according to charging documents obtained by KSL.com.
Tufuga was “driving around looking” specifically for the boy, whom she confronted and corralled into her car without his parents’ knowledge, the documents alleged.
She allegedly hightailed it back to her home in Provo, Utah, and kept the boy there until he apologized to her son.
The boy readily apologized, but even then, the vengeful mom wouldn’t let up, according to the police report. She “threatened to have her husband beat up” the accused bully and sneered that he “was lucky she did not run over his bike,” the documents alleged.
Tufuga eventually drove the shell-shocked boy back to his home.
The alleged kidnapping caused the boy “serious emotional distress” over the following months, and he now suffers from “high anxiety and has had to alter his daily routines significantly,” according to the charging documents.
Tufuga was charged with child kidnapping and aggravated child abuse on Monday, both as second-degree felonies. The charges were lowered from first-degree felonies after the Utah County Attorney’s Office determined that a “reduction would be in the interests of justice.”
Tufuga’s son is on the autism spectrum, according to a post on her Facebook.
Utah
Jazz Injury Report Rules Out 7 Players vs. Raptors
The Utah Jazz are set to face off against the Toronto Raptors to kick off their new week for their second of two meetings across this season, where the Jazz in particular have ruled out a total of seven names on their injury report.
Here’s what the injury landscape looks like for the Jazz and Raptors rolling into the night:
Utah Jazz Injury Report
OUT – Isaiah Collier (hamstring)
OUT – Keyonte George (hamstring)
OUT – Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee)
OUT – Walker Kessler (shoulder)
OUT – Lauri Markkanen (hip)
OUT – Jusuf Nurkic (nose)
OUT – Blake Hinson (two-way)
QUESTIONABLE – Cody Williams (shoulder)
It’s much of the same from what the Jazz have been dealing with across the past couple of weeks.
Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen still remain out with their minor injuries that they’ve suffered past the All-Star break, and Walker Kessler, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Jusuf Nurkic remain out for the year with their respective season-ending injuries.
However, the two names that stick out on this injury report against the Raptors in particular are their two first round picks from the 2024 NBA Draft; Isaiah Collier who’s out with a hamstring injury, while Cody Williams is the latest to be among those listed with a shoulder issue.
For Collier, it’s set to be a third-straight game that he’s been out due to what’s been labeled hamstring soreness, and thus leave the Jazz without both their starting and second-string point guard for the night.
That could lead to either two-way signee Elijah Harkless getting a starting nod for a second straight game following his elevation against the Philadelphia 76ers, or that spot could go to 10-day signing Kennedy Chandler, who played 35 minutes in that same game for a career-high 19 points in his team debut.
As for Williams, he’s been downgraded to questionable for the action due to shoulder soreness; something that could leave him still able to go before tip-off, but remains to be seen based on how he feels before gametime.
The second-year forward has been on a hot streak as of late. In his past five games, he’s averaged an impressive 19.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.0 assists, shooting 50.0% from the field throughout.
If Williams is out of the mix, it’ll leave their frontcourt a bit more shorthanded from what they’ve been used to across the past couple of weeks, and might lead to even more minutes for guys like 10-day signee Bez Mbeng and two-way big man Oscar Tshiebwe to fill those minutes.
Toronto Raptors Injury Report
OUT – Immanuel Quickley (foot)
OUT – Jakob Poeltl (rest)
QUESTIONABLE – Collin Murray-Boyles (illness)
When it comes to the Raptors, they’ll be without a couple of guys on their roster, Immanuel Quickley who’s slated to miss out due to a foot injury, while Jakob Poeltl won’t be playing for Toronto’s second leg of a back-to-back following their previous battle against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.
Collin Murray-Boyles, on the other hand, has been upgraded to questionable against the Jazz with an illness after previously being out against the Nuggets over the weekend.
Tip-off between the Jazz and Raptors lands at 9 p.m. MT in the Delta Center, where Toronto will have their chance at a 2-0 series sweep over Utah depending on the results.
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