Will Hardy Praises Jazz G Keyonte George After Career-Best Game

The Utah Jazz saw their third-year guard, Keyonte George, put together a career-best night, scoring the ball in a resilient win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, 127-122, done without the services of Lauri Markkanen to open the door for George to emerge as the team's number-one scoring option and clearly excelled in the process.

In 39 minutes, George had his first-ever 40-point performance with a total of 43 while shooting over 50% from the field and 6-13 from three, pairing that with three assists, two steals, and the Jazz's first win of the season without Markkanen on the floor alongside him to end a four-game losing streak in the process.

It was a night that Jazz head coach Will Hardy wound up having a ton of praise for the roster for how they managed to take down one of the best talents in the West–– but specifically honed in on Keyonte George to credit the growth and development he's made as a player this season to allow performances like this one to be possible.

"Keyonte, obviously, had an incredible night scoring with 43 points; made some spectacular plays. I told the team, as much of the coaches at times want it to be the other way, this is a players league, and these guys, they all make us look really smart with their ability, their toughness. Keyonte had five or six plays tonight that were just incredible. and it's a testament to him, to his ability, to the work he's put in, the confidence he has, the confidence his teammates have in him."

"Our fans are watching one of our own grow in front of their eyes. He's really turning into a star."

Will Hardy talking Keyonte George: Our fans are watching one of our own grow in front of their eyes and he's really turning into a star. pic.twitter.com/UGiGDUq3IU
— JP Chunga (@JP_Chunga) January 21, 2026

Keyonte George Budding Into Difference-Maker for Jazz

Compared to the player that George was as recently as his sophomore campaign just one year ago, he's found his way into becoming a vastly different guard with improved shooting efficiency, playmaking ability as the Jazz's primary starting point guard, and even a bit more effort defensively that's shaped him into one of the league's more prominent Most Improved Player candidates for this season.

Jan 17, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) points to his teammate during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

In 43 games, George's numbers are now up to an impressive 24.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 6.7 assists while shooting 45.9% from the field––all steps above his previous two seasons in the fold with Utah, and now emerging as not just one of the Jazz's most pivotal players for the future, but perhaps one of the more talented young guards in the NBA today.

Will Hardy, someone who's been watching that development take place with a front-row seat while being a pivotal voice in his year throughout, he's seen those strides come to form better than anyone. And with a performance like he had against Minnesota, it's becoming hard not to notice just how drastic his growth has turned out to be.

Key's leap just keeps getting better and better 🤩

a career-high 𝟰𝟯 and big moments that had the building on their feet. all in a night's work for our guy 👏#TakeNote presented by @ZionsBank pic.twitter.com/Ud0PhdUPdK
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 21, 2026

The best part is, George is only 22 years old with just under 200 games of NBA experience, meaning he's likely only just scratching the surface of what he could do in a Jazz uniform in the future, and feels poised to have even better scoring nights than he had against the Timberwolves down the line.

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