The Utah Jazz held their breath after guard Keyonte George appeared to have suffered a head injury in the third quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday.
The Jazz cannot afford to lose another key player following the season-ending shoulder injury of center Walker Kessler.
George was trying to score when he collided with Ausar Thompson.
“Jazz guard Keyonte George just took a knee to the left side of his face/head after pump faking and Ausar Thompson attempting to block his shot. George just left the game after being face down on the court,” reported ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel.
Fortunately for the Jazz, the 21-year-old George wasn't seriously hurt and returned to the game a few minutes later.
The third-year playmaker is enjoying his strongest campaign yet with Utah. Before facing the Pistons, he was averaging 23.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, a team-high 8.1 assists, and 1.0 steals. His shooting has also noticeably improved from 39.1% last season to 43.7% this season.
With the Jazz banking on their youth movement, led by forward Lauri Markkanen, George will figure heavily in the team's future. The exit of guard Collin Sexton in the offseason also signaled that Utah is relying on George to own the backcourt.
The Jazz drafted him as the 16th overall pick in 2023 out of Baylor. While he showed promise in his first two years, he was still erratic at best. But he put in the work in the offseason, and now, George looks like a more mature floor general.
However, as of writing, the Jazz are behind the Pistons in the fourth quarter.
