Jazz Beat Rockets Led By Keyonte George’s 30 Point Night
Feb 22, 2025, 11:39 PM | Updated: Feb 26, 2025, 10:22 pm
Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) (Credit: Brice Tucker, Deseret News)
(Credit: Brice Tucker, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz downed the Houston Rockets 124-115 on Saturday night behind 30 points from Keyonte George.
The sophomore guard broke the 30-point mark for the second time this season, adding eight rebounds and six assists in 29 minutes off the bench.
Alperen Sengun scored 27 points to lead the Rockets.
Hardy Enjoying Progress From Jazz Youth
While the Rockets are celebrated for having one of the best young cores in the NBA, they weren’t the best group on the floor on Saturday night.
Though George’s 30-point explosion stole the show, he was far from the only young Jazz player to make his presence known.
“It was a group effort, so it was definitely fun tonight,” George said. “That’s a tough team.”
Isaiah Collier recorded his seventh double-double of the season scoring 12 points and dishing out 10 assists in the win.
Isaiah Collier discussed his teammates, and the @utahjazz’s big win over the @HoustonRockets.#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/ohCgHg2IAH
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) February 23, 2025
Despite a rough first half, Brice Sensabaugh snapped out of his funk scoring 12 points in his second start of the season.
Kyle Filipowski scored eight points, grabbed three rebounds, and dished out two assists in 15 minutes.
And Cody Williams added nine points and six rebounds on 4-7 shooting 24 minutes in perhaps the best game of his rookie season.
“These guys are young, and they’re getting better, and they’re working really hard,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said of his young team. “I have the utmost belief in them. I have the utmost belief in what we’re doing.”
Key dropped 30, six guys in double-figures and a whole lot of KJ dunks in this one 🏔️
Let’s watch that one again ⤵️#TakeNote presented by @LVT_USA pic.twitter.com/GstAoRPbja
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 23, 2025
Walker Kessler, who has developed into the Jazz’s most consistent young player, added 11 points and 17 rebounds in another dominant performance.
The center helped the Jazz dominate the Rockets in the paint outscoring Houston 66-36, while winning the rebounding battle 58-41.
“I thought that we outplayed them in almost every category,” Hardy added.
Due to the youth on the roster, the Jazz won’t play as well every night as they did against the Rockets, but after a 13-42 start to the season, the team’s 14th win was a promising sign that the team is moving in the right direction.
Compounding Athleticism
With the addition of KJ Martin, the Jazz suddenly have terrific athleticism in their frontcourt.
Between Martin, John Collins, Lauri Markkanen, and to a lesser extent Walker Kessler, the Jazz can turn to four above-average athletes who sprint the court faster than most players at their position and can easily finish above the rim.
Though Collins missed the game due to lower back soreness, Hardy discussed the value of compounding the team’s athleticism.
“It was a different feeling in certain moments when KJ was on the floor last game, because it did add this big level of athleticism to our core,” Hardy said.
KJ Martin discussed his fit with the @utahjazz, and how he’s finding chemistry with his teammates. #TakeNote | @kslsports pic.twitter.com/4dq8VnMe3y
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) February 23, 2025
Related: KJ Martin Flashes Athleticism With Big Dunk Against Rockets
Now 2.5 seasons into the Jazz’s rebuild, a full team identity has yet to emerge. While each individual player has their strengths, there is no through-line that connects all the pieces into one cohesive unit.
While Martin is unlikely to change the makeup of the Jazz roster single-handedly, he may offer a glimpse of how adding more athleticism to the roster could help create an identity.
“You start putting two, three, four people on the court with a similar thing, that’s where a team identity starts to form,” Hardy said.
Martin finished with 11 points and four rebounds in 29 minutes as a starter against the Rockets.
Utah Jazz Next Broadcast
The Jazz will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday at 7 p.m. MST. The game will be televised on KJZZ, streamed on Jazz+, and heard on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone.
Are you on Threads yet? Let’s connect, give us a follow @kslsports.
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, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
