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LAS VEGAS — A buzz circulated through the Thomas and Mack Center on Thursday night as Anthony Davis, Trae Young, Cooper Flagg and Jalen Williams navigated their way to courtside seats.
The stars were all there to watch this year’s No. 1 pick, AJ Dybantsa, make his summer league debut for the Washington Wizards against the No. 2 pick, Darryn Peterson of the Utah Jazz. Though Dybantsa and Peterson missed some shots they are accustomed to making and went a combined 2-for-12 from 3, they still had a duel that did not disappoint while displaying flashes of their exciting potential.
Dybantsa led all players with 27 points and seven rebounds in 26 minutes to power Washington to a 92-88 win.
Peterson finished with 24 points.
“Every time I play him, it’s a great setting,” Dybantsa told ESPN afterward. “He got the best of me three times — two in high school, one in college. I just wanted to come out on top, get a win first and foremost.”
Dybantsa did not finish the game because of leg soreness but mentioned he is good and will play in the Wizards’ next game, Sunday against the Sacramento Kings.
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Both players were not shy to start the game. Dybantsa missed his first shot on a driving attempt that was blocked, and Peterson missed his first shot, a pullup 3 — all in the first minute.
But the 6-foot-9 Dybantsa flashed his tantalizing athleticism and length. He scored his first basket driving with his left hand before scoring with his right on an impressive reverse layup in traffic with 9:22 to go in the first quarter.
Peterson’s first made basket was a 24-foot fadeaway 3. He displayed his ability to create his own shot a few times by sidestepping his way free of a defender but missed a couple of those 3s. He shot 6-for-18 for the game but missed 5 of 7 3-point attempts while also committing eight turnovers.
Peterson — who played twice previously in the Utah summer league, putting up 28 points against the Atlanta Hawks and 25 points and 12 assists against the Memphis Grizzlies — was motivated to play Dybantsa. Peterson had mentioned after he was drafted that “it will always be in my mind for my whole career” that he was selected second.
“I look forward to every game we play,” Peterson mentioned after the loss Thursday. “Obviously, this one was a bigger one, so yeah, I was looking forward to it.
“I think every draft, every year, people are saying, ‘This guy went ahead of me,’ … but the draft is over now. It is what it is. I am part of the Utah Jazz, and I’m super happy.”
Dybantsa was well aware of Peterson carrying a chip on his shoulder about being drafted No. 2, and that helped motivate Dybantsa to perform up to the enormous expectations in his debut.
He wowed the crowd toward the end of the first quarter, when he drove past two Jazz defenders and then dunked with two hands on another despite losing the ball temporarily.
He flexed and screamed after the dunk.
“It was the only way I can score that bucket,” Dybantsa mentioned of the dunk. “When I went up there with two hands, I got fouled like twice, so I had to go and punch it.”
Dybantsa hit 7 of 18 shots but missed all five of his 3-point attempts. He finished with two assists, and mentioned he felt he could have gotten more rebounds and assists.
Dybantsa mentioned the win is what he will remember the most.
“You got to find ways to motivate yourself for every single game,” Dybantsa mentioned of the showdown. “Obviously, he had a motive. So, I had to go find one.
“And I did.”
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin contributed to this report.
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