Jazz Rookie Keyonte George Catches Fire In Third Quarter Against Hawks
Feb 27, 2024, 7:37 PM
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 27: Dejounte Murray #5 of the Atlanta Hawks drives against Keyonte George #3 of the Utah Jazz during the second quarter at State Farm Arena on February 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA – Utah Jazz rookie guard Keyonte George scored just two points in the first half against the Atlanta Hawks.
After the halftime break, George came out and found his groove.
ｋ３ｙｏｎｔｅ 🗝️ pic.twitter.com/TTqRwGwJes
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 28, 2024
The rookie scored 9 points in the third on 3/6 shooting.
Utah ended up losing the quarter by nine and the Hawks lead increased to over 20.
After starting the game down 12-2 in the opening minutes, the Jazz never really found their footing.
rookie/rookie 🪄 𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌 🪄 pic.twitter.com/PFKVLuQfYM
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 28, 2024
George had 11 points, four assists, and a rebound through the first three quarters.
He went on to play most of the fourth quarter along with Taylor Hendricks and Walker Kessler.
Quin Snyder, Hawks Play Key Role In Jazz Immediate Future
There may be no team that has more influence on the immediate future of the Utah Jazz than Quin Snyder’s Atlanta Hawks.
With the two teams set to face one another on Tuesday night, Jazz fans would be wise to track the Hawks in the standings over the final six weeks of the NBA season.
It will mark the first time the Jazz have faced Snyder since he left the team in the summer of 2022.
a warm welcome back 💟#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/XijOo4n3Ev
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 27, 2024
If the playoffs began today the Jazz would own the 11th-best lottery odds of moving up into the top four spots of the NBA Draft.
RELATED: Quin Snyder ‘Grateful’ For Seven Years With Jazz
But, if they didn’t hit on that 9.4 percent chance of moving up, they’d owe their selection to the Thunder. Enter the Hawks, who at 25-32, own the 10th-worst record in the league.
If Utah falls behind Atlanta in the standings, the odds of keeping their first-round pick would climb to 80.4 percent.
With just 1.5 games separating the Jazz and Hawks, the outcome of Tuesday’s game could be enormously consequential.
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Chandler Holt is a co-host for the Jazz Notes podcast and a Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.
