Will Hardy gives props to Ace Bailey for stepping up amid Jazz’s injuries

In a meeting between two teams in the cellar, the Washington Wizards came out victorious against the Utah Jazz, 133-110, at Delta Center on Wednesday.

The Jazz suffered their seventh loss in eight games, while the Wizards snapped their 16-game skid. Washington erected a big lead at halftime, 72-45, and never looked back.

If there was a silver lining for the Jazz, Ace Bailey delivered another all-around performance with 15 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks. He, however, struggled from the field, going 7-of-19, including 1-of-6 from long range.

Still, Utah coach Will Hardy chose to dwell on the positives, praising the 19-year-old rookie for embracing the pressure of being a top option amid their depleted roster.

“Ace is taking on a greater responsibility for longer stretches of the game. I think it’s really good for him to get those pockets of time. I don’t want him to feel like he has to go into the entirety of the game and be that guy,” said Hardy in the video posted by Sports Illustrated.

“But matchup recognition is a big part of, not only Ace’s life, but also the growth of our young players. When Ace has a favorable matchup, we want him to exploit that without turning our team into a one-on-one team.”

Will Hardy on how Ace Bailey has handled being the go-to scoring option while the Jazz have dealt with injuries:

"Ace is taking on a greater responsibility for longer stretches of the game. I think it's really good for him to get those pockets of time…" pic.twitter.com/L7zbVaSScL

— Utah Jazz On SI (@JazzOnSI) March 26, 2026

Bailey, who had problems with consistency early in the season, has been putting up solid numbers in recent weeks. Hardy also gave credit to his other players for feeding the fifth overall pick and putting him in a favorable position.

“It really has to be all five players thinking together for us to execute that, but Ace’s recognition has definitely improved,” added Hardy.

The Jazz were severely undermanned against the Wizards, as Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Kyle Filipowski, Isaiah Collier, and Brice Sensabaugh were all sidelined.

Utah fell to 21-52.

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