Jazz guard Isaiah Collier entered Tuesday with a reputation for sharing the ball. He finished 16th in assists per game as a rookie and is currently 11th in that category as a sophomore; he finished fourth in the Pac-12 in 2024, his only year at USC.
Even accounting for that, what he accomplished against the Pacers Tuesday raised eyebrows.
Collier gave out 22 assists against Indiana, becoming—by 38 days—the youngest player in NBA history to dole out 22 assists in one game. The record previously belonged to Bulls guard Ennis Whatley, who gave out 22 in 1984 against the Knicks at the age of 21 years, 156 days.
The Atlanta native added 17 points and even pulled down five rebounds as Utah downed the Pacers 131–122. Only three other Jazz players have ever hit the 20-assist mark in a game—Rickey Green (once), John Stockton (34 times) and Deron Williams (four times).
All around, Tuesday was a good day for the Jazz as they acquired center Jaren Jackson Jr.—a two-time All-Star—from the rebuilding Grizzlies. Utah is currently 16–35 this season—well out of the play-in race but in prime position for a high pick in a draft class lousy with potential game-changers.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Isaiah Collier Makes NBA History With 22-Assist Outing for Jazz.
