Utah Jazz

Ryan Kostecka

For Ryan Smith, being the governor of the Utah Jazz comes with a responsibility that far exceeds bringing a championship to Utah. For Smith, being the steward of the franchise&nbsp;comes with the responsibility of providing the best fan experience imaginable and making the Jazz brand global — and, in doing so, representing the state in the best way possible.&nbsp;

However, Smith felt that responsibility before he became governor of the team.&nbsp;

In 2017, Qualtrics partnered with the Jazz for a patch on Utah’s jersey — but Smith, founder of Qualtrics, had other ideas. He donated the patch to 5 For The Fight, a Qualtrics-led nonprofit global campaign inviting everyone to donate $5 to the fight against cancer. 5 For The Fight became the first-ever cause-related jersey sponsorship in the history of North American professional sports and was prominently featured on Jazz jerseys for the past six seasons.

Earlier this week, 5 For The Fight announced that it had surpassed its&nbsp;initial goal of raising $50 million and now has its sights set on further growth and evolution, especially related to its partnership with the Jazz. Starting this season, 5 For The Fight will receive permanent placement in Delta Center with an interactive space on the concourse and representation within the arena bowl.

“With the help of Utah Jazz fans, partners, and the community, 5 For The Fight has crossed the $50M mark. It was an ambitious goal we set at the time we announced the jersey patch,” said Mike Maughan, co-founder of 5 For The Fight. “It has been amazing to see the entire community rally around the cause and get involved. 5 For the Fight is excited about our continued partnership with the Utah Jazz to continue to raise money for cancer research alongside other generous partners, and hundreds of thousands of supporters across the world.”

With 5 For The Fight taking on a new role in partnership with the Jazz, Smith was in search of a new jersey patch partner.

On Thursday morning, Smith and the Utah Jazz announced a multi-year jersey patch partnership with LiveView Technologies (LVT). LVT is a Utah-built and -based national provider of innovative life safety and security technology and will appear on the jerseys beginning the 2023-24 season.&nbsp;

“We could not be happier to partner with another growing Utah-built company like LVT that shares our commitment to community,” Smith said. “As our partnership with 5 For The Fight evolves into its next phase, we’re excited to feature the LVT logo on our jerseys and continue using that prominent space to celebrate the innovative, hard-working mindset that Utah is all about.”&nbsp;

Here are three things to know about Utah’s newest partner: LVT.&nbsp;

1.) Community Born, Community BasedFounded in 2005 and located in America Fork, LVT is one of the fastest-growing companies in Utah. Since 2019, the company has experienced expansive growth that has brought an extensive amount of jobs to the state, including a 120% yearly growth rate and a 450% workforce expansion.&nbsp;

Instead of moving the company elsewhere, Ryan Porter, CEO, president, and co-founder of LVT, has elected to stay in Utah. This has helped the state continue its technological growth and, therefore, expand its brand.

“We’re excited to join the Jazz community. By having LVT serve as the team’s jersey patch partner, it will propel our organization’s growth and recognition across Utah and beyond,” Porter said. “We believe in Utah, and we’re proud to represent this state. LVT is committed to the community, and we know that when people feel safe, communities are better. We look forward to a successful partnership with the Jazz.”&nbsp;

2.) What is LVTA leader in life safety and security, LVT’s enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution is used by retailers, critical infrastructure and utilities, construction projects, warehouse and distribution centers, and more. They’re also a premier developer and manufacturer of mobile, solar-powered, and cellular-connected surveillance solutions and software.

The company’s user-friendly, enterprise life safety and security solutions quickly secure any physical environment using intelligent automation and actionable, real-time data. Many public and private industries have utilized LVT’s rapidly deployable commercial security systems, including sports, critical infrastructure retailers, transportation, and hundreds of other customers around the United States. Earlier this year, LVT also partnered with state emergency management officials, providing them with their technology to monitor flood waters across Utah.&nbsp;

3.) Bigger Than LVTDespite taking over as Utah’s jersey patch sponsor for the foreseeable future, Porter and LVT also understand that continuing a legacy of using the patch to give back is important for all involved.

With that in mind, Porter and LVT have joined 5 For The Fight in the ongoing battle against cancer. Not only do LVT employees have the ability to make ongoing donations to the cause, but the company is donating 100 tickets to Utah’s season opener against Sacramento on Wednesday, Oct. 25, for families battling cancer.&nbsp;

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“Could Not Be Happier” | Utah Partners With LVT; To Continue Relationship With Five For The Fight

Gabby Hundman

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PHOTOS | Open Gym

After two weeks of competition, the FIBA WorldCup has finally ended, with Germany taking home the gold medal after a victory over Serbia on Sunday morning.&nbsp;

But to Jazz Nation, they were most interested in Sunday morning's third-place game featuring Team USA and Canada — pitting Walker Kessler against Kelly Olynyk. In another high-scoring affair that saw a dramatic final five seconds force overtime, Olynyk and Canada took home the bronze medal after picking up the 127-118 victory.&nbsp;

CANADA 127 | UNITED STATES 118Olynyk and Kessler hoped to face each other with much more than a bronze medal on the line. In fact, both teams were predicted to be the gold medal favorites, setting off a North American showdown to determine the best in the world. That never happened, and both teams ended the World Cup with third place at stake. 

It's not that Team USA got off to a slow start as much as Canada just came out firing and executing on offense that there wasn't much the Americans could do. Dillon Brooks (Houston) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City) were on fire, and Team USA had no answer for the dynamic duo.&nbsp;

However, things flipped in the second quarter as the Americans answered on offense. Finally getting some stops on defense allowed them to get out in transition, where their athleticism at the rim took over. They trimmed their nine-point deficit at the end of the first quarter to just two at the break.&nbsp;

The second half played out identical to the first, with Canada stretching its lead to nine again with a potent offensive attack. Team USA answered by buckling down on defense over the final 10 minutes, getting some big-time stops and pushing the tempo for easy buckets.&nbsp;

But the drama started when Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn) was at the free throw line with Team USA down by four with 4.2 seconds left. After making the first free throw, he intentionally missed the second, grabbed the rebound, and drilled a corner three with .2 seconds remaining. Olynyk had a look to win it for Canada, but the shot just missed, sending the game to overtime.&nbsp;

After using so much energy to send the game to overtime, the Americans ran out of steam as Canada cruised to the bronze medal. 

With the Americans struggling to stay healthy as an illness spread throughout the team, Kessler got his first start of the World Cup in arguably the team's most important game. He answered the call, finishing with six points (3-for-3 from the field), seven rebounds, and one block — he had the best plus-minus rating of any starter by a wide margin.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Olynyk came off the bench as Canada elected to go small to start. He responded with 11 points, two rebounds, and two assists, shooting 4-of-6 from the field and 1-of-3 from deep.

"It's hard, these teams in FIBA are really good, well-coached, they've got continuity, this is difficult," USA head coach Steve Kerr said. "What I'm so impressed with is just the way our guys fought, especially tonight under these circumstances, missing three key teammates, just battling to get to overtime was impressive."

Slovenia 89 | ITALY 85Fellow Jazzman Simone Fontecchio saw his World Cup end as he led Italy to an eighth-place finish — their best since 1998 — as the team fellow to Luka Doncic (Dallas) and Slovenia on Saturday. 

For a game where Slovenia looked a step ahead the entire game, the Italians proved once again that they can't be counted out until the final whistle. Trailing by five with just over two minutes to go, Italy rallied with a quick 7-0 run to take a two-point lead with one minute to go. But Slovenia answered, ending the game on a 6-0 run to pull out the victory.&nbsp;

Fontecchio finished with 16 points against Slovenia, ending the tournament with averages of 18 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.&nbsp;

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"This Is Difficult" | Olynyk And Canada Win Bronze Medal Over Kessler And Team USA; Fontecchio And Italy Finish Eighth

I'll be honest: I'm not a video game guy. In fact, the only game system I currently own is the original PlayStation.&nbsp;

I played a bit as a former college athlete, but that's only because there wasn't much else to do on the road. Other than that, my experience playing video games comes from attending "Halo" parties with my best friends in high school — yes, I know how cool that sounds.&nbsp;

But just because I don't play them doesn't mean I'm not interested, and like most others in Jazz Nation, I couldn't wait to see the Jazz player rankings for NBA 2K24 — and it was worth the wait. 

Announced earlier this week, Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler topped Utah's player rankings in NBA 2K24. They are the two Jazz players to be ranked in the top 100. 

Markkanen was Utah's top-ranked player, with an 86 overall rating. That was good enough to be No. 39 overall in the NBA, the ninth-best power forward, and the fifth-best player from his 2017 draft class.&nbsp;

Markkanen, the reigning NBA's Most Improved Player, is coming off of a career season when he became the first player in NBA history to have 200 threes and 100 dunks in a season. As Utah's No. 1 option, he averaged career-highs in points (25.6), shot attempts (17.3), field goal percentage (49.9%), free throw percentage (87.5%), assists (1.9), and minutes (34.4). He also averaged 8.6 rebounds per game, 39.2% from three, and 58.6% effective field goal percentage, all the second-most in his career.

He dropped a career-high 49 points against Houston on Jan. 5, shooting 15-of-27 from the field, 6-of-15 from deep, and a perfect 13-for-13 from the free throw line.&nbsp;

"I think it's been my overall game coming together," Markkanen said. "Working on my overall game, working on where my spots are on the floor. … I've just been trying to bring everything together and just keep working on the overall package."

"Our team looks to Lauri," head coach Will Hardy added. "He's an NBA All-Star for a reason, and he's had a consistency about not only his play but his approach all season. I don't know what the ceiling is on Lauri. … I don't think any of us do, but I'm pretty sure we haven't seen it yet."

While his ranking is well-deserving, there were still some issues with his character in the game — most notably his trademark curls.&nbsp;

Also making a massive jump up the rankings was Kessler, now with an 83 overall rating. He's ranked No. 71 overall, the 14th-best center, and the second-best player from last year's draft class.&nbsp;

Kessler's rookie season changed on Jan. 10 in Utah's victory over Cleveland, getting the start following an ankle injury to Kelly Olynyk. He then dropped double-doubles in three of the following five games — including a rare 20-point, 20-rebound performance against Minnesota and the first one in history for a Utah Jazz rookie.&nbsp;

He finished the year averaging 11.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks in his 40 starts. He was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for February, debuted in the Rising Stars game at All-Star weekend that same month, and then dropped a career-high 31 points in late March.&nbsp;

Kessler also became the first rookie in 25 years to record at least four games of 7+ blocks, trailing Duncan's five times in 1998, and he became the first Jazz rookie ever to record a 30-point, 10-rebound game.

"I just wanted to learn," he said. "I went into this year trying to learn as much as I could so when I do get the opportunity, I can take advantage and try to help us win the game. I figured by doing that, the rest would take care of itself."

"Like all of the best defenders in the NBA, part of it is they have a reputation," Hardy said of Kessler. "I think for sure the reputation that he has now is helpful. … He's really gotten the respect of the league, the officials, the players, in terms of being one of those premier shot blockers."

Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton, and newcomer John Collins all enter the season with a rating of 80, while Talen Horton-Tucker and Kelly Olynyk come in at 78. Ochai Agbaji checks in with a 76 ranking.&nbsp;

As for Utah’s rookies, they also got their debut rankings.

Taken ninth overall, Taylor Hendricks came in at 73, while No. 18 pick Keyonte George was a 72. Brice Sensabaugh, who was chosen at No. 27, checked in at a 71.

“Okay a 71, I wasn’t expecting crazy because they usually do the rookies a little bad,” rookie Brice Sensabaugh said with a laugh. “I’ve always been playing 2K ever since I was a kid, maybe a little too much. This is exciting to be in the game, I’ll work to improve it or whatever the case may be. … I got to at least, not this year, at least touch 90 sometime in my career.”

Utah will have five preseason games in October before tipping off the season on Thursday, Oct. 25, at home against Sacramento. 

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"Always Been Playing 2K" | Markkanen And Kessler Make Huge Leaps In NBA 2K24 Ratings

It's the matchup Jazz Nation has been hoping for — Walker Kessler and Team USA taking on Kelly Olynyk and Canada.&nbsp;

Both teams entered the 2023 FIBA World Cup as gold medal favorites and appeared on a collision course heading into Friday's semifinal games. Unfortunately, neither got the job done and were both bounced from the tournament — but there is still one game left to be played.&nbsp;

Although it's not coming in the game to determine the best in the world, the Americans and Canadians will be facing off in the third-place game on Sunday morning — tipoff is set for 2:30 a.m.

Germany 113 | UNITED STATES 111In what many are describing as the greatest FIBA World Cup game of all time, the vaunted Team USA fell to undefeated Germany in the semifinals in a classic for the ages. The game featured numerous broken records and two offenses executing at the highest levels despite physical defenses. 

Instead of taking time to feel one another out, both offenses came out firing. Team USA had no answer for Germany's Dennis Schroeder, Franz Wagner, and Daniel Theis, while the Americans countered with Anthony Edwards, Mikal Bridges, and a fast pace. What resulted was a two-point lead by Germany after one.&nbsp;

Team USA answered in the second quarter, buckling down on defense. That allowed them to push the tempo even more, resulting in easier buckets and allowing them to take a one-point lead at the break.&nbsp;

That all changed in the third quarter when Germany caught fire and couldn't miss from the field. With Schroeder easily getting into the paint and collapsing Team USA's defense, it left the German shooters wide open, and they made it count. They used numerous runs to take a 10-point lead heading to the fourth.&nbsp;

With the Americans needing a miracle, Edwards and Anthony Reaves answered the call. Back-to-back threes cut the deficit to three with just over three minutes left — and then a pair of Reaves free throws made it a one-point game with just over a minute to play. But as had been the problem all game long, USA's defense let them down as they gave up another corner three, setting the stage for the dramatic finish. Having a chance to make it a one-possession game with less than 30 seconds to play, Edwards turned the ball over, and with it went America's chance at gold.&nbsp;

Unfortunately, Kessler never saw action in the game as head coach Steve Kerr elected to play small and push the temp. That decision has been questioned by many in the media as Germany shot 57.7% from the field and 68.3% from two during the game — and playing one of the most athletic shot blockers in the NBA in Kessler might've helped.&nbsp;

"That was the main point of the loss, we weren't ever able to make them feel us defensively," Kerr said postgame. "We also made some mistakes. It sounds crazy, but the first offensive rebound of the game, you gotta box out. … Right from the beginning, you gotta set the tone."

Serbia 95 | CANADA 86Canada entered Friday morning with a distinct advantage over Serbia with a roster full of NBA players — compared to just four (one rotational) for the Serbians. But that's why they play the game, as Serbia used its athleticism and physicality to push the tempo and run all over the Canadians. 

With slow starts plaguing Canada throughout the tournament, Serbia took advantage of another rough first quarter to jump out to a 23-15 after one. While Canada settled in and found a rhythm on offense in the second quarter, they had no answer for Serbia's offense as the Canadians led by 13 at the break.&nbsp;

After a Nickeil Alexander-Walker jumper cut Canada's deficit to seven with three minutes left in the third, momentum appeared to be on the side of the Canadians. However, that didn't last long as a 10-4 run by Serbia — including two threes — to end the third put Canada in a major bind.&nbsp;

Serbia then opened the fourth with a steal and bucket in transition, eventually pushing their lead to 17. Despite knocking down some buckets and winning the quarter, Canada never threatened the rest of the way.&nbsp;

Olynyk finished with nine points, four assists, and three rebounds.

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"Set The Tone" | Kessler And Olynyk Fall In FIBA World Cup Semis, Will Face Off Sunday In Third-Place Game

After nearly two weeks of competition, the FIBA World Cup has its final four as Team USA, Canada, Serbia, and Germany are left standing heading into the last weekend.&nbsp;

The good news for Jazz Nation is that Walker Kessler (USA) and Kelly Olynyk (Canada) are still alive and, following possible victories in their respective semifinals, will meet for the gold medal on Sunday. But first, they must take down their semifinal opponents on Friday morning. 

UNITED STATES 100 | ITALY 63After a surprising defeat at the hands of Lithuania on Monday, Team USA sent a statement to the rest of the world on Wednesday. Unfortunately, Simone Fontecchio and Italy were on the receiving end as the Americans dominated from start to finish. 

Knowing how talented his team was offensively, head coach Steve Kerr emphasized defense, knowing the Americans would only go as far as their defense took them. Whatever was said worked because Team USA was fast, physical, and disciplined, locking in on Italy's shooters and rarely letting them get an open look.&nbsp;

The Americans jumped out to a 10-point lead after the first quarter and then held Italy to just 10 points in the second quarter, leading to a 22-point advantage at the break. Most impressively, Team USA never let up in the third quarter, as they caught a rhythm offensively by dropping 37 points.&nbsp;

With the game all but over heading to the fourth, Kerr emptied his bench. The good news is that the reserves also played well, keeping pace with the Italians and never letting them gain momentum.&nbsp;

Kessler played the entire final 10 minutes, finishing with four points (2-of-2 shooting), five rebounds, and one block. While Kessler is advancing to the semifinals, Fontecchio and Italy are heading home — although not for lack of trying. Italy's leading scorer, Fontecchio finished with 18 points, five rebounds, two steals, and two blocks before fouling out.

"The joy and the competitiveness go hand-in-hand," Kerr said postgame. "When you compete and play with that kind of force and energy, it's just infectious, and then it becomes fun. It doesn't matter who scores, who gets the stats, it just becomes about the team, and that's when the game is at its peak and when it's fun."

Kessler and his teammates will now square off with undefeated Germany on Friday morning, with tipoff set for 6:40 a.m. MT and a berth in the finals at stake.

CANADA 100 | Slovenia 89In one of the best quarterfinals matchups in recent memory, NBA stars and All-NBA first-team guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City) and Luka Doncic (Slovenia) went head-to-head in a showdown with a berth in the semifinals at stake. 

As expected, the game was extremely tight until Canada — led by a deep bench — used a massive run early in the third quarter to pull away. Beforehand, the first half was very competitive as there were 18 lead changes and six ties in the opening 20 minutes.&nbsp;

To avoid having SGA or Doncic go hunting on offense, both teams elected to go small, switching every screen and allowing for a very fast pace. Canada led by two after the first quarter, but Slovenia responded as the game was tied at 50 at the break.&nbsp;

But the Canadians came out firing to start the third, going on a 19-5 run to start the half. Despite Slovenia trying to fight back, Canada kept the lead as Gilgeous-Alexander and his supporting cast refused to be denied.&nbsp;

Olynyk was once again the steady veteran presence for Canada, finishing with seven points, five rebounds, and a team-high four assists. He was also a team-high +27 in just 23 minutes.

Canada will have a chance to reach the gold medal for the first time in the World Cup when they take on Serbia. Tipoff is set for 2:45 a.m. MT on Friday morning. 

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"About The Team" | Kessler And Team USA Knock Out Fontecchio; Olynyk And Canada Advance To Semifinals

It was just under a month ago when the Utah Jazz released their upcoming schedule for the 2023-24 season — how we feeling about it, Jazz Nation?

Is this season easier or tougher than last year? Do the Jazz have a chance to make the play-in? What's with playing on Sundays? And lastly, how do we feel about the inaugural In-Season Tournament?

In what should be an exciting and thrilling season, JP Chunga (Jazz Podcast Host) and myself (Jazz Digital Content Writer) are here to answer your Jazz questions — and much more.

Question: What are your first thoughts upon seeing Utah’s schedule this season? | Christa A. — Salt Lake City, UTKostecka: Why can’t it be October 25th yet?!? The schedule release is always one of the best days of the year – but nothing tops free agency – because it’s all about hope. Hope for what can be. But my instant takeaway from this season’s schedule is the amount of double-headers – or lack thereof. Playing on Sundays for the first time in forever helps negate the amount of double-headers for the Jazz, which should pay dividends. 

Question: I know last year, the beginning and ending stretches were brutal. … Do you see any difficult periods this season? | Mike Y. — Ogden, UTChunga: Looks like the middle! The holiday season road trip that sees a Cleveland-Detroit back-to-back finishes in New Orleans. It’s five games in eight days. Then there’s a January stretch where the team plays six games in 10 days. Long road trips where you don’t know what city you’re in are always tough.

Question: People may forget but we started off really hot last year (10-3 I think). Is something like that possible again this year? | Chad C. — Las Vegas, NVKostecka: Last year's start was sensational, mainly because the Jazz were winning by simply playing harder. They came together as&nbsp;a unit a lot quicker than expected, which helps when everybody already counts you out. But this isn’t last year, and the Jazz won’t be catching anyone off guard. The first 14 games are brutal – 10 against playoff teams, and two more against upstart squads in Orlando and Indiana. If Utah is .500 or better at that point, that’s a win.

Question: What do you see as being our easiest stretch of games… like where do we have a chance to climb up the standings? | Dan P. — Layton, UTChunga: NINE home games in March! Plenty of opportunities to win in the friendly confines. It’s after the trade deadline so other teams will be reshaped, but ultimately, having two Dallas and Houston matchups brings familiarity and intrigue.

Question: Should Jazz fans be offended that we only have one nationally televised game this year? What do we need to do to get more? | Mandi D. — Bozeman, MTKostecka: Short answer, no. It happens, and it will continue to happen until Utah can get back to making a mark in the postseason. For what it’s worth, the Jazz will be playing seven games on NBATV. But until this team can get back to the postseason, nationally televised games will have to wait.

Question: Is the new In-Season Tournament something we should care about or is it just a whatever sort of thing? | Ryan M. — Farmington, UTChunga: It’s the first year of the Tournament, and I understand the apprehension, but as it grows in stature there’s going to be a level of importance. It’s an opportunity for hardware. Like the Elam ending (target score) in the NBA All-Star Game, players care when there’s something on the line. Kyle Lowry took a charge! This will definitely add juice to the regular season. Once the knockout rounds tip off in Vegas, it’ll be intense.

Question: Now that the schedule has been released, am I delusional for thinking the Jazz could make the play-in tournament (at worst)? | Phoebe M. — Pocatello, IDKostecka: This is a question I have asked myself over and over again, making sure I’m not a homer for trusting in the team I work for/cover. But the more I think about it, I think Utah can for sure make the play-in tournament. A trio of Kessler, Markkanen, and Collins will be among the biggest, longest and most athletic frontcourts in the league, and this team will play hard and be prepared every night under Hardy. If Utah is healthy starting February, they have a stretch where 13 of their 18 games are home, with no back-to-backs.

Question: For the first time in forever, I think, the Jazz are playing home games on Sunday. Why are they doing that and how does it affect the schedule compared to the past? | James C. — Cedar City, UTChunga: The schedule gets compressed when playing an 82-game season, so naturally dates will need to be open. The league needed available Sundays because of the new In-Season Tournament and week-delayed start. I think of the Sunday ABC primetime – it’s a big deal to play in those. While it’s not on national TV, I’ll hear Mike Breen’s baritone screaming BANG on big shots. KD (11/19), Giannis (2/4), and Victor (2/25). Sundays are for the hoops. 

Question: As someone who knows the NBA really well, what stretch of games do you think would be the most entertaining to go to for a diehard Jazz and NBA fan? | Stacy D. — Park City, UTKostecka: As mentioned earlier, From Feb. 1 - Mar. 18, Utah will play 13 of its 18 games at home, which should allow the team to find a nice rhythm and make a climb up the standings. Those games include showdowns at home against Philly (Embiid), Milwaukee (Giannis), OKC (Shai), Golden State (Curry), Los Angeles Lakers (James), San Antonio (Wemby), and Boston (Tatum).

Question: Quin Snyder makes his return on Mar. 15 — also John Collins facing his former team. What sort of reception should Snyder receive? | Hollie F. — Moab, UTChunga: A raucous ovation. Doris Burke (name drop) told me this great story about Quin Snyder and Donovan Mitchell’s relationship. It took courage to hand the keys of the offense to a rookie. He probably did it before Donovan was ready. Donovan relayed to Doris they were speaking different languages of NBA basketball. Later on in his tenure, Donovan boasted to Doris that he could speak the same language. The growth and development of the franchise and Quin as a coach are unforgettable. He’s a tremendous basketball mind.

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Utah Jazz Mailbag | JP Chunga And Ryan Kostecka Answer Your Questions About The Upcoming Season

With the FIBA World Cup heading to the quarterfinals and just eight teams remaining, three members of the Utah Jazz are still alive in their quest to take home a medal at the prestigious world tournament.&nbsp;

Walker Kessler and Simone Fontecchio have advanced to the world's version of the "Elite Eight" but will face one another on Tuesday morning, with the winner advancing and the loser going home. After a shocking loss two days ago, Kelly Olynyk and Canada rebounded with a win over the world's No. 1 team to stay alive in the tournament.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the World Cup has officially come to an end for Jordan Clarkson and Lauri Markkanen — doing so on very high notes for both players and their respective teams. 

PHILIPPINES 92 | China 73Being one of the host nations of the tournament in the basketball-crazed country of the Philippines, the pressure was on Gilas Pilipinas before the opening tip just under two weeks ago. And as the star of the team — and the only NBA player — that pressure was magnified for Clarkson. 

While he largely lived up to the hype and pressure individually, Clarkson gave his fans one last hurrah. He led the Philippines to their first tournament victory, doing so emphatically in one of the best offensive performances seen in a long time.&nbsp;

Trailing by two midway through the third quarter, Clarkson showed why he earned the nickname "Flamethrower" when he scored 22 over the final six minutes. That capped a 27-3 as Gilas Pilipinas flipped the game on its head and cruised to their first victory.&nbsp;

Clarkson finished with 34 points, three assists, and two rebounds, his highest-scoring game of the tourney. He averaged 26 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game. The Philippines will now get ready for qualification games ahead of next year's 2024 Tokyo Summer Olympics.&nbsp;

"I feel like this whole World Cup I really haven't been able to get free and get into a super crazy rhythm just because how defenses were playing and stuff like that," Clarkson said postgame. "But I just continued to stay with it. … My teammates found me, got me open, I just made shots. It was great."

FINLAND 90 | Venezuela 75With Clarkson leading the tournament in scoring — through games as of Sunday morning — after his massive scoring outburst, he overtook his Jazz teammate for the honor. While Markkanen remained Finland's best player, he reminded everybody why he's considered one of the better players in the world after another sensational tournament. 

After getting off to a slow start and trailing by four entering the second quarter, Markkanen sparked the turnaround as the Susijengi reeled off a 10-2 run. They continued to shine the rest of the quarter, eventually taking a 13-point lead at the break.&nbsp;

Venezuela answered with a solid third, cutting the deficit to five entering the final 10 minutes. But Markkanen was once again the answer, knocking down a three to kickstart a 14-3 run after Venezuela cut the deficit to six. Finland then cruised to win, finishing the tournament 2-3.&nbsp;

Markkanen finished with 32 points and nine rebounds, averaging 24.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game throughout the tournament.&nbsp;

ITALY 73 | Puerto Rico 57Italy will be heading to the World Cup's quarterfinals for the first time in 25 years. While it wasn't his greatest shooting performance of the tournament, Fontecchio got things done on both ends of the court by finishing with his first double-double of the tournament — and it couldn't have come at a better time.

It was a game of runs throughout, with Italy serving the first blow. The Italians used an early 15-0 run to take an 11-point lead early on, but Puerto Rico never gave up. They battled back to take a 43-41 lead in the third quarter. However, Italy answered with a 16-4 run for the 10-point advantage midway through the fourth, capping off the victory.&nbsp;

Fontecchio finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds in the win. Italy will now face Kessler and Team USA in the quarterfinals.&nbsp;

Lithuania 110 | UNITED STATES 104Despite opting to play small and fast throughout the tournament, Team USA knew it was in for a battle on Sunday morning against a massive Lithuania team. Lithuania's size and strength were too much for the Americans to overcome as they suffered their first loss of the tournament. 

Despite the thrilling second half, the first was one Team USA will want to forget. They were overwhelmed by Lithuania on both ends of the court and trailed by as many as 21 late in the second quarter.&nbsp;

Trailing by 17 entering the third quarter, the Americans turned up defensively, which allowed them to get out and run on offense. The result was cutting the deficit to four points late in the third before settling for a six-point deficit entering the final 10 minutes.&nbsp;

However, after using defense to get back into the game, Team USA abandoned that philosophy as Lithuania dropped 39 points in the fourth. Although the Americans matched them bucket for bucket, more was needed as they couldn't get the key stops and rebounds when needed.&nbsp;

Kessler finished with two points, one rebound, and one block in five minutes, but didn't play in the second half. Team USA will now face Italy in a win-or-go-home quarterfinals matchup against Italy.&nbsp;

CANADA 88 | Spain 85In one of the tournament's best games, gold medal frontrunners Canada and Spain met Sunday morning in a do-or-die game, with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals and the losers heading home. With Canada's chances looking slim entering the fourth quarter, the Canadians overwhelmed Spain over the final 10 minutes to complete the comeback. 

Spain appeared in control for much of the game, but Canada kept fighting back to stay within striking distance. Olynyk was particularly huge in the third quarter when he knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to keep the Canadian afloat after Spain hit some big shots of their own.&nbsp;

The fourth quarter was all drama as Dillon Brooks (Houston) was massive when Canada needed him both. His three with just over a minute left tied the game at 80, before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City) hit a jumper to give the Canadians their first lead since the first quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander then clinched the win as he went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line over the final 30 seconds.&nbsp;

Olynyk finished with six points and two rebounds, as Canada will now face Luka Doncic and Slovenia on Wednesday morning.&nbsp;

it-was-great-clarkson-and-markkanen-end-on-high-notes-kessler-olynyk-and-fontecchio-advance-to-quarterfinals

"It Was Great" | Clarkson And Markkanen End On High Notes; Kessler, Olynyk, And Fontecchio Advance To Quarterfinals

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