Trae Young wasted no time making an impression in his first game as a Washington Wizard.
The veteran point guard scored 12 points and dished six assists in just over 19 minutes as the Wizards fell 122-112 to the Utah Jazz on Thursday night. Young showed his full bag of tricks, including a first-possession layup, a behind-the-back fake that led to a contested finish, and a three-point play in the third quarter followed by a pass through a defender’s legs.
“I just wanted to come out here and just have some fun,” Young said. “Get the first one out of the way.”
Washington acquired Young from Atlanta in January, but knee and quadriceps issues kept him out until Thursday. Despite playing on a minutes restriction, he gave the home crowd plenty to be excited about with his nonstop offensive creativity.
“You felt the electricity in the building,” Wizards coach Brian Keefe said. “You could definitely feel it.”
Young admitted he barely slept the night before, eager to shake off the rust after missing several months of basketball.
While Young was the headliner, a pair of rookies stole some of the spotlight. Utah’s Ace Bailey put up a career-high 32 points, while Juju Reese posted 18 points and 20 rebounds for Washington in just his third NBA game. Fellow rookie Tre Johnson added 15 points, all from beyond the arc.
The potential partnership between Young and fellow newcomer Anthony Davis remains something to look forward to. Davis has yet to play since arriving via trade due to ligament damage in his left hand, though the team confirmed Thursday he has been cleared to begin limited on-court activities and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
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