AJ Dybantsa arrived in Summer League and immediately looked like the No. 1 overall pick. He scored 27 points on Day 1 of the 2026 Las Vegas Summer League, and the Washington Wizards held off the Utah Jazz 92-88 after Darryn Peterson’s late push cut the lead to one.
The game mattered because it put the top two picks in the 2026 NBA Draft on the same floor for their first Summer League games, and Dybantsa answered first. The 6-foot-9 wing out of BYU made the opening basket for the Wizards, then piled up 11 points and four rebounds in the first quarter alone, setting the tone in a sold-out Thomas & Mack Arena in Las Vegas.
Tre Johnson matched the pace beside him, and the two combined for 53 points for the Wizards. That scoring punch helped cover a Jazz team that got 24 points from Peterson and 16 points, plus four steals, from Cody Williams. The result gave Washington the edge in a game that stayed tight enough to feel like a preview rather than an exhibition.
Dybantsa said it was great to get out there and play in his first NBA game, and the way he played fit that description. He said summer practices had already shown him how often he could get to the rim, and when he turned the corner for a late dunk, he said the only finish left was to punch it through after taking contact. That aggressiveness helped the Wizards keep control when the Jazz started closing the gap.
Peterson did not fade quietly. He hit back-to-back buckets late to bring Utah within one, a reminder that the No. 2 pick can change a game in a few possessions. But this was already the fourth time Dybantsa and Peterson had matched up, and the pattern held: the star who started fastest also finished with the win.
The larger draw was obvious from the opening tip. Courtside, the crowd included Trae Young, Anthony Davis, DeAndre Ayton, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George, giving the night the feel of a showcase built around the draft’s top tier. For now, Dybantsa has the first word in the rivalry. Peterson has the next chance to answer, and neither side will need long to wait for another test.
