AJ Dybantsa (27 points) and Darryn Peterson (24 points) duel in a battle between the top two picks of the 2026 NBA Draft.
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LAS VEGAS – The top two players in the 2026 NBA Draft squared off on Day 1 of the 2026 Las Vegas Summer League and both players delivered. AJ Dybantsa was the No. 1 player off the board to the Washington Wizards and Darryn Peterson was No. 2 to the Utah Jazz. It was obvious the pair of players knew what was at stake as they took the court at a sold-out Thomas & Mack Arena.
“It was great to get out there and play in my first NBA game,” Dybantsa said. “During summer practices I was making a lot of plays at the rim so it felt good to get out there and do more of the same.”
Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9 wing out of BYU, struck first getting the first bucket of the game for the Wizards. Dybantsa was on fire in the first quarter. He had 11 points and four rebounds in the first 10 minutes of action, including a poster dunk that erupted the arena.
SLAM IT DOWN, @AJ_Dybantsa 💪
The #1 pick drops a game-high 27 in his NBA Summer League debut as the Wizards secure the dub over the Jazz! https://t.co/RShULu4j95 pic.twitter.com/UOCEfo60U1
— NBA (@NBA) July 10, 2026
“I turned the corner and saw a lane and the only way I was getting that bucket was dunking because I had been fouled, like, two times so the only way to finish was punching it,” Dybantsa said.
The Wizards’ length and athleticism between Dybantsa and Tre Johnson in the backcourt was too much for the Jazz. The two players combined for 53 points as they took the close 92-88 win over the Jazz.
“I played with Tre (Johnson) one time in high school and our games kind of match up with each other,” Dybantsa said. “You’re not going to be able to guard both of us with our scoring ability so we just told each other to just stay aggressive and teams won’t be able to beat us.”
Peterson finished with 24 points and needed some time to settle in.
At one point with the first half winding down, Peterson switched off on Dybantsa for the final 10 seconds and the crowd started to cheer with the top two picks going 1-on-1 to close out the half. Dybantsa drove right, spun back into the middle of the key, creating separation, but missed the shot at the buzzer. It was Peterson at the end of the game hitting back-to-back buckets, bringing the Jazz within one point.
“Every year, there’s always someone in the draft taken above someone else and him (Dybantsa) going ahead of me just going to drive me to be a better player,” Peterson said. “This isn’t the last time we’ll match up and every time I just want to do whatever it takes to help my team win but we came up short tonight.”
The Jazz’s second-half comeback was led by Cody Williams, who finished with 16 points and four steals in the loss. The 6-foot-8 wing just finished his second season with the Jazz and is the younger brother of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams, who was sitting courtside supporting his brother.
Players from the Wizards sitting courtside included Trae Young, Anthony Davis, DeAndre Ayton, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George. Jazz guards Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier sat at the other end and were seen dapping up the Jazz starting five prior to tip-off while Ace Bailey was on the bench and acted as a player’s coach. He was seen conversing with Peterson each time he came to the bench for a breather.
This is the fourth time Dybantsa and Peterson have squared off in the last 2 1/2 years. In every outing, it had been Peterson who has emerged as the better prospect on the court and has come out with the win … until Friday. This was Dybantsa’s night; he showed why he was the No. 1 pick in such a deep and talented draft class. Dybantsa used his length to get to the rim with ease, he made the right pass in spacing and was solid defensively.
He finished the night with 27 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals.
“Every time I play against DP (Peterson) it’s always a great setting,” Dybantsa said. “He got the best of me three times so I just wanted to come out on top.”
AJ Dybantsa ties Blake Griffin for the most points scored by a No. 1 overall pick in a Las Vegas NBA Summer League debut with 27.
Two years ago, in one of the best high school games in recent memory, Peterson and Dybantsa combined for 107 points. Peterson finished with 58 points and the game-winner in overtime while Dybantsa had 49 points. During the McDonald’s All American game, Peterson scored 18 points and was named the co-MVP.
In the one college matchup this past season, Peterson scored 18 points in 20 minutes and didn’t even play in the second half. The Jayhawks got the win in Allen Fieldhouse and it was very clear that Dybantsa and Peterson were going to be the top two players selected in the draft.
Summer League action continues and the tournament will conclude on July 19. The Wizards and Dybantsa’s next game is Sunday against the Kings (8 ET, Prime Video) with the Jazz facing off against the Clippers right afterwards (10 ET, Prime Video).
