NBA: Keyonte George's career-high 43 points help Jazz rally past Timberwolves

Keyonte George exploded for a career-high 43 points and Jusuf Nurkić recorded his second career triple-double, leading the Utah Jazz to a 127-122 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.

Nurkic finished with 18 rebounds, 16 points, and 10 assists — his first triple-double since 2019. Ace Bailey contributed 20 points, while Isaiah Collier added 18 points and 10 assists off the bench.

The victory also marked head coach Will Hardy’s 100th career win.

Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 38 points. Julius Randle added 19 points and Jaden McDaniels contributed 18 points and six assists. Donte DiVincenzo had a team-high eight assists along with 15 points, while Naz Reid scored 13 off the bench.

Utah trailed by as many as 15 points in the third quarter but staged a strong comeback in the fourth.

The Jazz opened the final period by scoring on their first 11 possessions. The rally culminated in Collier’s go-ahead layup, giving Utah a 107-106 lead.

Once they took the lead, the Jazz never looked back. Edwards cut the deficit to 121-119 with 1:21 remaining, but George responded with a 3-pointer on the next possession. Nurkic then sank two free throws to secure the win and prevent Minnesota from taking the lead in the final minute.

The Timberwolves started strong, jumping to a 21-10 lead five minutes into the first quarter. Randle helped ignite a 16-5 run, which ended with a running dunk.

George led Utah’s comeback in the second quarter, scoring four baskets during a 14-2 run that gave the Jazz a 55-50 lead late in the half. He finished the first half with 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting.

Minnesota remained close at halftime, but dominated the third quarter with a 17-4 run. DiVincenzo contributed heavily by scoring or assisting on three straight possessions. Reid sealed the run with a floating jumper that put the Timberwolves up 85-75.

Edwards then made three consecutive baskets to extend Minnesota’s lead to 94-79 late in the third quarter, setting up Utah’s dramatic fourth-quarter comeback.

—Field Level Media/Reuters