NBA: Jazz spoil Trae Young's Wizards debut, end 7-game skid

Ace Bailey delivered a career-best performance, scoring 32 points and recording two steals to lead the Utah Jazz to a 122-112 victory over the Washington Wizards on Thursday night, ending a seven-game losing streak.

Bailey was unstoppable in the first half, going 8-for-10 from the field and scoring 21 points to energize a short-handed Jazz team. Isaiah Collier also shined, posting 27 points and 11 assists, while Kyle Filipowski added a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds.

Trae Young made his much-anticipated debut for the Wizards after being acquired in a January trade with Atlanta. Limited by MCL and quad injuries to just 11 games this season, Young finished with 12 points, six assists, and three turnovers in 19 minutes.

Julian Reese led Washington with 18 points and 20 rebounds. Bilal Coulibaly added 17 points, Leaky Black scored 16, and Tre Johnson contributed 15 points and eight boards as the Wizards dropped their seventh straight game.

Bailey’s hot shooting helped Utah build a double-digit lead before halftime. He hit consecutive three-pointers to spark a 12-2 run, giving the Jazz a 25-16 advantage. Utah closed the first quarter on a 9-0 run, capped by Blake Hinson’s third 3-pointer, to take a 37-23 lead.

Washington fought back early in the second quarter with back-to-back baskets from Anthony Gill to narrow the gap to 41-34. Utah responded with another 12-2 run, highlighted by Bailey’s uncontested dunk off a steal, extending the lead to 53-36.

The Jazz led by as many as 21 points before halftime, going up 65-44 on Collier’s driving layup with 1:06 remaining. Utah shot 56.5% from the field in the first half, making nine three-pointers and outscoring Washington 28-10 in the paint.

Washington cut the deficit to single digits late in the third quarter and narrowed it to 117-111 after Coulibaly’s layup with 1:23 remaining. Collier then completed a three-point play on the next possession, giving Utah enough cushion to secure the win.

-Field Level Media/Reuters