Ace Bailey's Triple-Double, PJ Washington's Bench Explosion Even NBA Finals
May 31st, 2028 | Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT.
NBA Finals | Game 4 | Atlanta Hawks (2-1) @ Utah Jazz (1-2)
ATL | 21 | 22 | 16 | 33 |
92
UTA | 32 | 32 | 24 | 28 |
116
Ace Bailey wasn't about to let the hometown fans down two games in a row, turning in a legendary playoff performance with 40 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in the blowout win.
|
| Name | Points | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | FG | 3PT | FT |
| PG Trae Young | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2/10 | 1/7 | 0/0 |
| SG Dyson Daniels | 17 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7/11 | 2/5 | 1/2 |
| SF Zaccharie Risacher | 17 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7/15 | 3/7 | 0/0 |
| PF Kristaps Porzingis | 8 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3/5 | 0/0 | 2/4 |
| G Onyeka Okongqu | 14 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7/10 | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| G Gary Trent Jr. | 12 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3/10 | 2/8 | 4/4 |
| Total | 92 | 45 | 25 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 37/84(44%) | 9/41(22%) | 9/13(69%) |
|
| Name | Points | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | FG | 3PT | FT |
| PG Anthony Black | 19 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9/18 | 0/4 | 1/7 |
| SG Dillon Brooks | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/2 | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| SF Ace Bailey | 40 | 12 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 12/23 | 1/6 | 15/16 |
| PF Robert Williams III | 2 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1/3 | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| C Bam Adebayo | 17 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8/16 | 1/2 | 0/0 |
| PF PJ Washington | 36 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14/16 | 5/7 | 3/3 |
| Total | 116 | 51 | 26 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 45/93(48%) | 7/26(35%) | 19/26(73%) |
Salt Lake City, UT. - The Utah Jazz promised they'd come out with renewed intensity to avoid falling into a 3-1 deficit, and they delivered emphatically in Game 4, routing the Atlanta Hawks 116-92 to tie the Finals at two games apiece.
But the victory was powered by two dominant performances: Ace Bailey's historic triple-double and PJ Washington's breakout bench game.
Atlanta's offensive rhythm was disrupted from the opening tip. Trae Young picked up two quick fouls within the first five minutes, sending him to the bench as Utah built an 11-point lead after the first quarter. Young returned in the second quarter but immediately picked up his third foul, sidelining him for the remainder of the half.
The Hawks' offense collapsed without their floor general.
"It's tough to run what you want to run without your primary initiator on the floor," Hawks coach Quin Snyder acknowledged. Without Young, Atlanta shot just 33 percent from the field as the Jazz extended their advantage to 21 points by halftime.
Ace Bailey put on a masterclass, finishing with 40 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists—making him the first player in Utah Jazz franchise history to record a triple-double in the Finals.
His first half alone was remarkable: 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists as he orchestrated the Jazz's offensive attack and found open shooters. When Atlanta tried to mount a comeback in the third quarter, scoring 8 straight points, Bailey responded with 8 consecutive points of his own to re-establish the Jazz's 20-point advantage.
The Hawks never threatened after that, staying within 17 points for the remainder of the game.
"That's championship basketball," Bailey said of the team's approach. "We talk about defending first, then attacking the paint, then hunting threes when the opportunities present themselves. We can't just chuck them—we have to be intentional about when we shoot."
While Bailey's triple-double headlined the night, PJ Washington's historic bench performance provided the secondary scoring punch the Jazz desperately needed without George and Thomas.
The forward was nearly perfect early, going 7-for-7 in the first half with three of his five three-pointers coming before the break. He finished the game with 36 points, his best performance of the Finals and a clear statement that Utah has scoring options beyond their star duo.
After the game, Bailey immediately deflected the player-of-the-game credit toward Washington.
"Where's PJ?" Bailey called out when approached for his postgame interview, waving off Allie LaForce and insisting Washington deserved the spotlight. "This guy right here is player of the game. We don't win without him stretching the floor and hitting shots."
Washington was characteristically humble about his performance.
"I just tried to be ready when my number got called," Washington said. "Ace and AB did a great job finding me in rhythm, giving me good looks. When you get going like that, you stay aggressive and keep shooting. Tonight, the shots kept falling."
While the victory was convincing, ESPN analyst Charles Barkley raised concerns about the Jazz's long-term offensive sustainability without their injured guards.
"You can't win the Finals with one guy carrying the load," Barkley said. "Yes, Washington had an incredible night. But you can't count on that every game. Ace Bailey and Anthony Black are doing too much. Bam Adebayo has been fine, but where's the dominant performance from him? The Jazz need more varied scoring if they're going to beat Atlanta in a series."
The challenge for Utah heading back to Atlanta is clear: Can Washington replicate this performance? Can Bam Adebayo elevate his game? Can Bailey and Black continue to carry the offensive load?
Game 5 tips off in Atlanta on Sunday night with the series tied at two games apiece—and Bailey's historic triple-double giving the Jazz momentum heading back to enemy territory.
