What will Clarkson do this time around?

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SWEETER the second time around for Fil-Am NBA player Jordan Clarkson?

CLARKSON

The 6-foot-5 Utah Jazz guard is expected to arrive in the country today to beef up the nationals for the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers.

Clarkson will suit up as a naturalized player for the Filipino cagers, who tangle with Lebanon in Beirut on Aug. 26 and Saudi Arabia three days later at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

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Aside from Clarkson, a former NBA Sixth Man of the Year awardee, prized 7-foot-3 center Kai Sotto was scheduled to land in the country yesterday.

Clarkson saw action for the Yeng Guiao-mentored Gilas side in the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games after he was given the green light by the NBA and his former ballclub, the Cleveland Cavaliers, on a one-time exception.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas tried hard but failed to get the FIBA nod for Clarkson to play as a local in international tournaments.

PBA stars such as Ginebra’s Japeth Aguilar, Scottie Thompson, and Arvin Tolentino, June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez of San Miguel Beer, Magnolia’s Ian Sangalang and Jio Jalalon, Chris Newsome, Allein Maliksi, and Raymond Almazan of Meralco, NLEX’s Kevin Alas and Calvin Oftana, and Jamie Malonzo and Robert Bolick of NorthPort, and free agent Roosevelt Adams are in the pool.

Brothers Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena, Dwight Ramos, Bobby Ray Parks Jr., Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, and Francis Lopez complete the pool.

With the Beermen set to take on the defending Philippine Cup champions Tropang Giga in the best-of-7 finals beginning Sunday, Fajardo and Perez will most likely be cut from the pool.

The Philippine five wound up ninth and missed the quarterfinals of the FIBA Asia Cup last month in Jakarta for the first time since 2007.

With Reyes also calling the shots, Gilas failed to win the gold that matters most to Filipinos in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam last May.

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