Utah Jazz guard Isaiah Collier. Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Jazz PG Isaiah Collier's 22-assist night makes NBA history in multiple ways

By Mike J. Asti | Last updated Feb 4, 2026 12:21 AM ET

It's no secret the Utah Jazz have their eyes set more on the future than on the present, but one of their recent first-round draft picks showed why the future could come sooner than some think.

Isaiah Collier made NBA history during the Jazz's 131-122 win over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. Collier scored 17 points, granted his performance was highlighted by how much he generated offense and set up his teammates.

Collier recorded 22 assists, becoming the youngest player in league history to ever post 20 or more assists in a single game.

To further explain the magnitude of the achievement, Collier broke a record that stood for 42 years. Prior to Collier, Ennis Whatley owned the distinction — he put up 22 assists of his own as a rookie with the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 14, 1984.

20 assists is a rare occurrence for any NBA player

Collier's achievement is also rare in general — he became the first player to dish out 20-plus assists while playing an entire game since Magic Johnson did it in Game 5 of the 1991 NBA Finals.

Tonight, Zay became the first player in the league to drop 20+ assists while playing the entire game since Magic Johnson in Game 5 of the 1991 NBA Finals #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/MGSp3fTWpP
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 4, 2026

Isaiah Collier almost surpassed a franchise legend

Collier even came close to surpassing the NBA's all-time assist leader and Jazz icon John Stockton for the franchise's single-season title. Stockton had 28 on Jan. 15, 1991.

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Second only to John Stockton for most dimes in a game in franchise history. Elite company for Zay #PerformanceLeader presented by @UofUHealth pic.twitter.com/Jtm0kUMzUH
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 4, 2026

Before his historic night, Collier's previous high was when he had 13 assists in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 18. Tuesday marked Collier's fifth game with double-digit assists and first since registering 10 on Jan. 20.

Isaiah Collier has also found a scoring touch as of late

He's clearly finding a rhythm as he's building a complete, too. Collier's 17 points against the Pacers were his third-highest total of the season, only a basket shy of his season-best of 19 that he set at Toronto on Sunday.

Drafted with the 29th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Collier is on pace to top his rookie numbers. So far through 42 games played with seven starts, Collier is averaging 7.0 assists per game to go along with his 9.6 points and 2.6 rebounds.

Last season, he finished with averages of 8.7 points, 6.3 helpers and 3.3 boards in 71 games and 46 starts.

Mike J. Asti

Mike Asti is an experienced media personality and journalist with a vast resume and skillset, most notably from time with TribLIVE Radio and WPXI-TV. Asti now serves as the Managing Editor of WV Sports Now, where he leads the coverage of WVU sports. He has also covered the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and other teams within the Pittsburgh market

This article first appeared on Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI and was syndicated with permission.

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