George Out As Jazz Look For Summer League Semifinal Berth
Jul 14, 2023, 2:38 PM | Updated: Jul 16, 2023, 1:12 pm
Keyonte George #3 of Utah Jazz reacts to hitting a three point basket against the LA Clippers during the 2023 NBA Summer League (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
(Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz will be without rookie standout Keyonte George when they face the Phoenix Suns with a Las Vegas Summer League tournament birth on the line.
The Jazz would guarantee themselves a spot in Sunday’s Summer League semifinal with a win, but a loss could end their week in Vegas.
The winner of Sunday’s semi-final will play in the Vegas Finals on Monday.
The @utahJazz Injury Report (as of 7/14):
Agbaji and Samanic appear available.
OUT – Keyonte George (Right Ankle Sprain)
OUT – Taylor Hendricks (Right Hamstring Strain)
OUT – Brice Sensabaugh (Left Knee Surgery Recovery)
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) July 14, 2023
Jazz Will Be Without Keyonte George Against Suns
The Jazz (3-0) face the Phoenix Suns (1-2) Friday night without George who had been the team’s best player throughout Summer League.
The rookie guard suffered a sprained ankle in Wednesday’s win over the Denver Nuggets, missing the entire second half of the game.
George had scored six points, grabbed three rebounds, and handed out two assists in 10 first-half minutes before injuring his ankle.
Keyonte George left the @utahjazz summer league game with a right ankle injury. #TakeNote https://t.co/kSPZI1B12Y
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) July 13, 2023
“Keyonte George underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on Thursday, which confirmed a lateral ankle sprain,” the Jazz announced Friday. “He will continue to work with the Jazz health and performance staff on rehabilitation.”
The guard had been a breakout star in both the Salt Lake City and Las Vegas Summer Leagues averaging 21.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and six assists while shooting 46 percent from the floor and 38 percent from three in five previous appearances.
The Jazz selected George with the 16th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Rookies Taylor Hendricks (hamstring) and Brice Sensabaugh (knee) will also miss Friday’s game.
Jazz Summer League Semifinal On The Line
With a win, the Jazz would guarantee themselves a spot in the Las Vegas Summer League semifinal joining the Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets, each of whom owns a 4-0 record.
A loss wouldn’t eliminate the Jazz from tournament contention but would drop them into a larger pool of teams with tiebreakers determined by head-to-head matchups and point differential.
Regardless of Friday’s outcome, the Jazz will play at least one more game as the team’s missing out on the Vegas Tournament will participate in a consolation contest to finish the week.
When Do The Jazz Play The Suns?
The Jazz will host the Suns Friday at 8:30 pm MT in Las Vegas. The game will be televised on NBA TV.
Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops or on Instagram @BensHoops.
