Knicks Turn to Jordan Clarkson for Offensive Boost

Little-used guard sees extended minutes in loss to Lakers

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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Desperately searching for offense, the New York Knicks turned to little-used guard Jordan Clarkson on Sunday, giving him 10 minutes of playing time, including 8 in the fourth quarter. Clarkson was productive, scoring 9 points on 3-of-4 shooting, but the Knicks were already too far behind to mount a comeback, losing to the Lakers 110-97.

Why it matters

The Knicks have been struggling to generate offense, leading them to turn to Clarkson, who had been pulled from the rotation in recent weeks. His performance shows he can provide a scoring spark when given the opportunity, but the team's deep rotation has made it difficult for him to see consistent minutes.

The details

Clarkson logged 10 minutes on Sunday, including 8 in the fourth quarter, and was largely productive, scoring 9 points on 3-of-4 shooting. However, the Knicks were already down by as many as 23 points in the third quarter and were unable to mount a comeback despite Clarkson's contribution.

  • Clarkson had been pulled from the Knicks' rotation and hadn't played meaningful minutes in weeks prior to Sunday's game.

The players

Jordan Clarkson

A guard for the New York Knicks who has seen limited playing time this season despite being considered a significant part of the team's plans before the season.

Tom Thibodeau

The head coach of the New York Knicks, who said he is facing a numbers crunch in terms of playing time for his deep roster.

LeBron James

The veteran NBA superstar who did not play in Sunday's game due to a foot problem, and whose son Bronny was also inactive after being sent to the G-League.

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What they’re saying

“He's a guy we can lean on. He can put the ball in the hole. We were struggling to do that. So I threw him out there to see if we can mix it up. He definitely helped us. But it was too big of a deficit if you're talking about 20 points to try to come back from versus a good team on their home court.”

— Tom Thibodeau, Head Coach, New York Knicks

“The crazy part for me is when you see players who you've coached and then your kids are playing in the NBA, that's a little freaky for me. Because it tells me I'm old. But then I go to the bathroom, I shave all my gray hairs off so it helps me believe I'm not old. But his son playing in the NBA is mind-blowing and that impacts me more than him retiring.”

— Tom Thibodeau, Head Coach, New York Knicks

The takeaway

The Knicks' decision to turn to Jordan Clarkson for an offensive boost highlights the team's struggles to consistently generate points, as well as the challenges of managing a deep rotation and finding playing time for all of their talented players. Clarkson's performance showed he can provide a scoring spark when given the opportunity, but the team's inability to overcome a large deficit against the Lakers underscores the need for more consistent offensive production across the roster.