Jan. 29, 2026, 1:30 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
After another productive outing on Wednesday, Utah Jazz<\/a> coach Will Hardy can see the progress that rookie Ace Bailey is making each time he steps onto the court.<\/p>\n Bailey finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and one blocked shot in a 140-124 loss against the Golden State Warriors. He went 8-of-15 from the field, including 3-of-7 from 3-point range, in 34 minutes of work.<\/p>\n The fifth overall pick dazzled throughout the game with his movement and cutting, creating open shot attempts for himself. He also made several plays for his teammates out of pick-and-roll situations, making high-level reads and passes, which stood out to Hardy.<\/p>\n “Ace is getting better,” Hardy said<\/a>. “I’m really excited about his progress. He is showing us each night a higher level of understanding of how he can impact the game. He is finding a variety of shots: His catch-and-shoot 3; he is finding ways to be creative off the bounce, especially late in the clock, getting to his little fadeaway; and some of his isolation stuff is very good. He has been a great cutter for us all year; plays with a lot of energy.”<\/p>\n Bailey is averaging 11.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 34.8% from 3-point range in 41 appearances with the Jazz. He is eighth in scoring among rookies and is\u00a0one of seven first-year players<\/a>\u00a0with at least six 20-point performances.<\/p>\n Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!<\/a><\/p>\n