TORONTO — Lakers fans who turned their TV on a couple minutes late were likely surprised to see that Jordan Clarkson’s night was already done.
The sophomore Laker matched up against Portland’s C.J. McCollum in the very first head-to-head matchup of the Skills Challenge on All-Star Saturday Night.
The two were locked in a close race through the dribbling and passing portions of the obstacle course, but McCollum hit his layup first, giving him a few seconds of cushion on Clarkson. McCollum then sunk his first shot at the 3-pointer finish line to eliminate Clarkson.
McCollum was then knocked out by Boston’s Isaiah Thomas in the semifinals. In a matchup between the winners of the guards and big men brackets, Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns took home the title after he and Thomas both missed several triples until Towns finally connected.
Fortunately for Clarkson, his speedy exit at the Skills Competition came on the heels of a strong performance at the Rising Stars Challenge, where he collected 25 points, five rebounds, five assists, five 3-pointers and four steals in 23 minutes.
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