Will Hardy Praises Two Unsung Heroes in Jazz’s Win vs. Grizzlies

The Utah Jazz's latest 120-116 win over the Memphis Grizzlies was a game in which third-year guard Keyonte George wound up being the best player on the floor for either side by putting together a career-high 39-point outing, providing a major spark on the offensive end that led to victory number nine on the season.

But it was after the game that Jazz head coach Will Hardy made sure to hand out some notable credit to not only George, but a couple of key difference-makers off the bench that "changed the game," and helped lead to the end result falling in Utah's favor— that being Isaiah Collier and Kevin Love.

"Two guys off the bench, obviously changed the game for us. The first one is Isaiah [Collier]," Hardy said postgame. "Eight assists, but really, his ability to put pressure on the paint, get the ball in the paint for us in the 2nd half, generated a lot of good offense for us."

"And then, Kevin Love. He's a Hall of Fame player who stays ready. He's been an amazing teammate, an amazing leader for our team this year. I'm not sure the last time he took 15 shots in a game, but, his ability to space the floor and give us a different look when he's out there."

"I thought the team, they fed off the energy of him getting going, especially at the end of the third quarter. But, he hit some really big ones for us, made some big plays."

Isaiah Collier, Kevin Love Land Special Shoutouts From Will Hardy

The Jazz bench has had a handful of standout performers on select nights throughout the start of this season, and in Memphis, Collier and Love were up to the challenge of bringing a spark into the second unit.

For Collier, he bounced back in a major way from logging just six minutes in Utah's previous game against the OKC Thunder, posting five points and eight assists in 24 minutes, taking clear command of the Jazz's backup point guard duties behind George's stellar night.

Dec 12, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Utah Jazz guard Isaiah Collier (8) drives past Memphis Grizzlies guard Cam Spencer (24) in the second half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Smith-Imagn Images | Matthew Smith-Imagn Images

Love, on the other hand, managed to turn back the clock for one night on the road for his season-high of 20 points, chipping in for eight rebounds as well. And for reference, the last time Love took 15 shots in a single game came back in 2022 (12/31 vs. CHI) when he was still playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Hardy, also, made sure to give some shine to the player of the game in Keyonte George.

"Keyonte played a terrific game from start to finish. The foul trouble put him in a few tough spots there late in the game defensively. But overall, terrific shot making, great reads, big free throws down the stretch."

Utah's win in Memphis now marks their third on the road this season, and for the meantime, places them right on the cusp of the West Play-In picture, being tied with the Dallas Mavericks for the 10th seed in the conference.

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