JAKARTA—Consider the test passed.

Jordan Clarkson lived up to the high expectations set of him by coach Yeng Guiao, when the Cleveland Cavaliers guard came through with an impressive performance in his first game for the Philippines.

Clarkson scored 28 points on 10-of-25 shooting, while grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out four assists in the Philippines’ slim 82-80 loss to China in Group D of the 2018 Asian Games.

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He struggled with his shot in the first half, but found his rhythm in the third quarter when he propelled the Philippines’ comeback. Unfortunately, the 26-year-old also cramped up in the fourth quarter, and committed the late foul that gifted China’s Zhao Rui with the go-ahead free throws.

“Jordan Clarkson just showed what kind of player he is,” Guiao told reporters after the game.

The coach previously said that Clarkson had no peer in the continental competition, and he believed that he was proven right by Clarkson’s performance.

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“He is heads and shoulders above all the players here, and he showed that,” said Guiao of Clarkson, who had little trouble in adjusting to his system despite having just played with the team for five days.

“He was able to just flow, get into the flow and find scoring opportunities and create situations for his teammates,” he added.

Clarkson’s speed was clearly a cut above the rest, and he had no trouble breaking down the wave of defenders that China threw at him. The third quarter, in particular, was the Jordan Show as he scored from all areas while drawing oohs and aahs from the Filipino fans that packed the Basket Hall in the Gelora Bung Karno complex.

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There were still some kinks to work on: Clarkson was not particularly efficient and there were times when he struggled to finish at the rim against China’s giants. Yet his mere presence clearly elevated the game of the hastily formed squad, and gave his teammates the confidence to battle against a Chinese team that is among the favorites to win the tournament.

“We are way better, because you have a guy like Jordan Clarkson, NBA veteran, NBA talent,” said Poy Erram, who had six points in the loss.

Guiao added: "(Clarkson) scored 20-plus points and created a lot of situations for us. The problem was he cramped in the last two minutes, and we had to sit him out.”

“After he cramped, he couldn’t really play his 100% best, because there was still some pain in his right calf,” he added.

Guiao’s praise was not reserved for Clarkson, as he commended the team for stepping up when Clarkson was subbed out late.

“Even without him, we played well. Even without him, we had a chance to win the game with a last shot, but those are the breaks of the game,” he said. “I give credit to the boys. To me, this is like a won game.”

(For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website.)