WASHINGTON (AP) — Ace Bailey crashed Trae Young's Washington debut, scoring 21 of his career-high 32 points in the first half to lift the Utah Jazz to a 122-112 victory over the Wizards on Thursday night.
Young, who was traded from Atlanta to Washington
in January, had 12 points and six assists while playing just 19 minutes. He'd been sidelined by knee and quadriceps injuries and was on a minutes restriction.Juju Reese had 18 points and 20 rebounds
for the Wizards, who have lost seven straight. Utah snapped a seven-game skid of its own.
Bailey, who was taken by the Jazz with the fifth pick in last year's draft — one spot ahead of where Washington picked — made seven 3-pointers while surpassing his previous high of 25 points.
Although Young's appearance in the starting lineup was welcomed by the home crowd, the Wizards trailed by 14 after one quarter. Washington's Tre Johnson missed a breakaway dunk in the second, and although Young provided his share of highlights — including a pass between the legs of a defender to set up Anthony Gill's layup in the third — Washington couldn't come all the way back.
Perhaps that was to the Wizards' benefit. Washington entered the game with the NBA's fourth-worst record, 1 1/2 games behind Utah. The Wizards could lose their first-round pick this year if it falls out of the top eight.
Reese, the brother of WNBA star Angel Reese, was signed by the Wizards to a two-way contract last week and now has the highest rebound total by any rookie in a game this season. He became Washington's first rookie with 20 rebounds since Tom Gugliotta in 1993.
Jazz: At Milwaukee on Saturday night.
Wizards: At New Orleans on Sunday night.
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