By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Jordan Clarkson finally played for the Philippines, but despite a great performance, he was not enough for the win. The 2021 NBA sixth man of the year played 37 minutes and ended the night with 27 points, six rebounds, and seven assists.
Still, Lebanon got the 85-81 home win behind 24 points by Wael Arakji and 17 by Amir Saoud. Dwight Ramos had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the losing side while Kai Sotto added 10 points and eight rebounds.
However, Clarkson was the story of the game in his first FIBA competition contest after the 2018 Asian Games. A process that started in 2011, finally became a reality
He is the biggest hope of the basketball-crazed nation of the Philippines for a positive outing of the national team in the upcoming World Cup, in which the Philippines is one of the three hosts together with Japan and Indonesia.
As hosts, the Philippines have already secured their presence in the competition but they are part of the qualifiers, being currently fourth in their group with a 2-4 record.