Clark, Warriors put stamp on Vegas final
Did everyone in the NBA miss on Ian Clark?
For one night, it appeared that all 29 teams whiffed on the undrafted 6-foot-3-inch guard from Belmont.
Clark electrified the Thomas & Mack Center with 33 points Monday, leading the Golden State Warriors to the inaugural NBA Summer League championship over the Phoenix Suns, 91-77.
Clark was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after posting the highest-scoring performance of the summer league this year — while coming off the bench.
“I never thought this would happen,” Clark said. “I was just trying to play hard and blend in. Hopefully I came out here and made a positive impression.”
The Warriors came to Las Vegas intent upon winning the event. They were the tourney’s No. 1 seed and went 7-0 to extend their summer league winning streak to 14 games since 2010.
Clark exploded for 19 points during the second quarter to carry Golden State to a 50-45 halftime lead. He made 4 of 5 3-point attempts during the quarter, electrifying the crowd of 7,357, and finished with record seven 3-pointers.
“My teammates had confidence in me, and all I was doing was spotting up and getting open looks,” Clark said.
His teammates also were involved as Kent Bazemore finished with 18 points while Draymond Green and Cameron Jones each had 12. But it was Clark’s night to bask in the spotlight.
For a player looking for a job at the moment, he can only hope he bolstered his resume with Monday’s performance.
“Nobody’s talked to me, but I would love to be invited back with the Warriors this fall,” Clark said. “I loved playing with these guys. They’re winners, and you could feel it during the tournament that everyone wanted to win it.”
Clark played for the Miami Heat at the Orlando summer league in July, then hooked up with the guard-needy Warriors after the Heat didn’t assign him to their Las Vegas roster.
“I have to thank the Miami Heat for giving me a chance to play for them in Orlando and get myself adjusted to the summer league,” Clark said. “They made it easier for me to perform here because I was already comfortable.”
The Suns, who finished 6-1, were led by rookie Archie Goodwin with 18 points. They trailed only 68-66 early in the fourth quarter before Golden State went on a decisive 13-0 run.
The Warriors donned white “Victory In Vegas” championship T-shirts during the trophy presentation after going unbeaten in Las Vegas for the second consecutive year. They were 5-0 in 2012.
The Summer League proved to be a success in its first year with a tournament format. For 11 sessions, total attendance rose about 10 percent to a record 62,128, an average 5,648.
Warren LeGarie, a sports agent who founded the NBA Summer League in 2004 and oversees its annual operation in conjunction with the NBA, was thrilled by the turnout of fans and teams.
“We were sailing in uncharted waters,” LeGarie said. “We didn’t know what to expect. But in Las Vegas, the fans embraced the tournament format beyond our wildest expectations.”
■ NOTES — The All-Summer League team included MVP Jonas Valanciunas of Toronto, Bazemore of Golden State, Jeffery Taylor and Cody Zeller of Charlotte, and John Henson of Milwaukee. … Toronto’s Dwight Buycks was the summer league’s leading scorer with a 23-point average. Portland’s C.J. McCollum was second at 21.0.
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.
