Keyonte George

To run up a 29-point lead in the first quarter is rare; to lose that advantage altogether just minutes later — as the Utah Jazz found themselves precariously close to doing on December 19, 2024 — is almost unheard of. Fortunately for the upset-minded Jazz, when the Detroit Pistons’ defense brought the padlocks to its comeback bid, Utah had a game-changing “key” of sorts stored under the mat. Shifty enough in his dribble that even Cade Cunningham would agree, Keyonte George makes his presence felt, using the threat of his teammate’s screen to springboard his path to the rim. Trampoline-like in the leap that follows, George takes flight, dropping a one-handed sledgehammer over Jalen Duren’s honorable-yet-hopeless contest. Bucket-getting brilliance defined the up-and-coming guard’s night in Detroit, as he helped Utah storm through to secure a victory as four-and-a-half-point underdogs. The word “points,” arguably, became George’s favorite word, as he finished with 28 (on 8-of-17 shooting), paired with four rebounds, three assists, one block, and seven 3-pointers during a memorable showing.