Clark proves he's elite with career game.
Cameron Clark isn’t being talked about as among the best imports of the 2023 PBA Governors’ Cup. That’s his ‘reward’ for posting per game averages of 25.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1 steal, and 1.2 blocks—relatively modest compared to, say, the 35.4 points, 12 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.6 blocks Jamaal Franklin has been putting up, or the 29.2 points, 12 rebounds, 9.5 assists, 1 steal, and 0.5 blocks that Justin Brownlee averages.
It might be a matter of time, though, before Clark gets his flowers. That is especially true if he keeps playing the way he played Wednesday night against the Northport Batang Pier, whom he torched for a PBA career-high 44 points on a hyper-efficient 20-for26 shooting in leading the San Miguel Beermen to a 145-132 victory. Clark added 9 rebounds and 7 assists in arguably his best game in the PBA.
But, in typical Clark fashion, the bruising Beerman credited his teammates for his spectacular showing.
“I was just going out there playing hard,” Clark said post-game. “We’ve been playing SMB basketball, just sharing the ball. And my teammates did a real good job of finding me.”
And share that ball the Beermen did, finishing the high-scoring affair with 46 assists.
“Coach preaches that—sharing the ball a good shot for a better shot,” Clark explained. “I feel that’s all I was trying to do today, to be aggressive but still get open shots for my teammates like they was doing for me.”
It was a teammate effort, all right, but it was Clark who led the way, scoring 24 of his 44 points in the first half alone to help the Beermen build a 72-67 halftime lead despite the Batang Pier’s hot-shooting. He added 8 points in San Miguel’s third quarter storm to extend its lead, before adding 12 more in the fourth to repulse Northport’s repeated rallies.
Of course, it’s unlikely Clark will stop dropping 40 a game because of San Miguel’s vaunted firepower. But let it be known that, when given the opportunity, Clark can also put up big numbers—in a winning effort.