George’s Career Night Lifts Jazz Past Timberwolves.

SALT LAKE CITY — Keyonte George poured in a career-best 43 points as the Utah Jazz erased a late deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 127–122 on Tuesday night, securing head coach Will Hardy’s 100th career victory. Jusuf Nurkic delivered a standout performance with 16 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists, earning his second career triple-double and his first since January 2019 when he played for Portland. Rookie Ace Bailey added 20 points, while Isaiah Collier contributed 18 points and 10 assists for the Jazz (15–29).

Utah entered the game shorthanded, playing without leading scorer Lauri Markkanen as well as Kevin Love and Brice Sensabaugh. The win marked the Jazz’s first victory of the season without Markkanen after starting 0–10 in such games. Anthony Edwards led Minnesota (27–17) with 38 points, but the Timberwolves could not protect a 15-point advantage and finished a four-game road trip with three consecutive losses. Julius Randle scored 19 points, and Rudy Gobert posted 11 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks in his return from suspension and injury. Edwards brought Minnesota within two points at 121–119 with a three-point play late in the fourth quarter. George quickly answered with a corner three-pointer with 59.2 seconds remaining, sealing the Jazz comeback and snapping a four-game losing streak. Bailey energized Utah during the fourth quarter, igniting an 11–2 run with a powerful dunk and a three-pointer that gave the Jazz the lead with 7:47 left. Utah scored on its first 11 possessions of the final period after trailing by 12 entering the quarter.

Minnesota dominated in transition early, holding a 23–9 edge in fast-break points through three quarters. However, the Timberwolves struggled to maintain that pace down the stretch as Utah controlled the final period.

Gobert, who had missed two of Minnesota’s previous three games, was assessed a technical foul in the fourth quarter after elbowing Nurkic but avoided a flagrant foul following video review. The Timberwolves will return home to face the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, while the Jazz remain in Salt Lake City to host the San Antonio Spurs.