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- Jazz coach Will Hardy benched Keyonte George in the second half against the Clippers, citing defensive concerns.
- Rookie Isaiah Collier replaced George, playing a career-high 26 minutes and aiding a brief Jazz comeback.
- Hardy's decision aimed to instill accountability, emphasizing that minutes must be earned, not assumed, in the rebuilding Jazz team.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — As the Utah Jazz took the court for the second half on Sunday, Keyonte George remained on the bench.
Jazz coach Will Hardy made a change, opting to go with rookie point guard Isaiah Collier with hopes to kickstart what had been an uneven effort from his team.
"I wasn't happy with Keyonte's defense in the first half," Hardy said. "Keyonte knows how much I believe in him, but sometimes you have to make changes in the moment to reinforce your point."
The point? Minutes are always earned.
Collier finished with a career-high in minutes (26) and assists (eight) as he helped spark a small comeback from Utah in the LA Clippers' 116-105 win over Utah.
After trailing by as much as 23 points in the second half, Utah cut the deficit to 7 with 3:18 remaining. Former Jazz guard Kris Dunn then hit a corner 3-pointer that kept the Jazz at bay.
The story of the night for Utah, though, was Hardy's halftime decision. The Jazz coach made it clear that going with Collier wasn't putting the blame on his second-year guard but more about sending a message to his team.
"It's never meant to punish anyone or make it like we're pointing the finger at one person," Hardy said. "That's not it at all, but we're trying to create really good habits. And when you have a lot of young players that are getting an opportunity, there are moments where you have to make sure that they understand that you don't just get to play."
The Jazz know where they are in the rebuilding process. There aren't any delusions of grandeur about playoff chances or where they stand among the other teams in the NBA. The talent level isn't there to truly expect to win every night.
Effort, though, is still a non-negotiable.
"You don't just get 30 minutes, because everybody assumes you're going to get 30 minutes; that's not how this league works," Hardy said. "Keyonte wasn't the only part of the first half that I thought wasn't very good."
Collier brought some life into Utah. He's the most natural point guard on Utah's roster, and that showed in the second half. He dictated the pace, racing up the court and getting the Jazz into sets early.
The Jazz have a lot of ball handlers who take a few beats to get the ball moving; Collier isn't one of them.
"He keeps his head up and passes the ball early, and it generates this environment where everybody knows that, No. 1, they have to get out and run if they want a chance to be in the play," Hardy said. "And No. 2, they're excited to get out and run because they know that if they're open they'll get it."
Added Lauri Markkanen: "He can make a lot of good reads and that's good to see as a rookie guard coming in. He sees and tries to facilitate other guys."
Collier gave Utah a different look and provided a physical brand of defense that helped the Jazz make things at least a little interesting at the end.
But George was part of that, too.
George re-entered the game with 7:21 left in the third quarter and stayed in for the remainder of the contest.
"(Isaiah) went out there and changed the game for us," George said. "So that's my guy, and I just really liked how Zay came in and pushed the pace. I came in and met the level of the game."
George had 9 points and four rebounds in the second half. More importantly, though, he had a different care factor. He even said it was "fun" to see his coach hold him accountable, and that it's easy to play for a coach where he knows that all minutes are earned.
"We don't want to have to coach competitiveness," Hardy said. "And I think that our team, for the most part this year, has found a way, collectively, to play hard every night; and I thought the second half really represented that."
