Rookie ace Pele performed well again on Tuesday, helping the Utah Jazz beat the Minnesota Timberwolves after trailing by 15 points in the second half.
Keyonte George scored a career-high 43 points and Bailey added 20 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal to help the team win 127-122 at the Delta Center. He made 8 of 17 shots, including 3 of 8 three-pointers, and the Jazz ended their four-game losing streak.
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The No. 5 pick played all 12 minutes in the fourth quarter and scored nine points. The Jazz defeated the Timberwolves 43-26 in the quarter and set off a comeback. He earned praise from coach Will Hardy for his impact on the game.
“Ace had some great plays: his cutting, his athleticism, his offense above the rim, even some rebounds late,” Hardy said. “He showed a lot of maturity in that game. It’s a game where you have to really think and we can’t provoke anyone. I thought he played to his abilities in a big way.”
Bailey played 37 games with the Jazz, averaging 10.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game, while shooting 34.4% from three-point range. He ranks 10th among rookies in scoring and is one of eight first-year players to reach 20 points at least four times.
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The 19-year-old returned to the starting lineup on January 14 after missing nearly two weeks with a hip injury and averaged 14.2 points, 5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in five games. He scored in double figures four times during that stretch.
Bailey appears to be in solid form on the court and will look to build positive momentum heading into next month’s All-Star break. He’s impressed those around him in the first half of the season and has shown up at a high level every night.
“Ace learns very quickly,” Hardy said. “A lot of times, he’ll come back on the bench or run the other way and he’ll be like, ‘Oh, that was me.'” The first step to correcting a mistake is recognizing it. I think our team overall holds itself fairly accountable. No one in our locker room is trying to point fingers. Ace is one of them. “
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Jazz News: Will Hardy Praises Ace Bailey for Responsibility, Maturity