Ace Sinks Go-Ahead 3 To Steal Game 1 In San Antonio
April 18th, 2028 | Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX.
First Round | Game 1 | Utah Jazz (0-0) vs San Antonio Spurs (0-0)
Ace rising up over Devin Vassell to drill the go-ahead three with under 30 seconds left.
| Name | Points | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | FG | 3PT | FT |
| PG Anthony Black | 10 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 4/10 | 0/0 | 2/6 |
| SG Cam Thomas | 18 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6/11 | 6/10 | 0/0 |
| SF Ace Bailey | 40 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14/30 | 4/13 | 8/10 |
| PF PJ Washington | 6 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2/4 | 2/4 | 0/0 |
| C Bam Adebayo | 7 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3/7 | 0/1 | 1/1 |
| PG Keyonte George | 22 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9/18 | 1/3 | 3/4 |
| Total | 109 | 50 | 19 | 10 | 1 | 13 | 40/86(47%) | 13/33(39%) | 16/23(70%) |
| Name | Points | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | FG | 3PT | FT |
| PG De'Aaro Fox | 28 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 10/20 | 2/7 | 6/10 |
| SG Dylan Harper | 24 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 10/18 | 4/7 | 0/0 |
| SF Devin Vassell | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0/7 | 0/3 | 3/4 |
| PF Hannes Steinbach | 6 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3/4 | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| C Victor Wembanyama | 27 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 11/16 | 2/4 | 3/3 |
| SG Stephon Castle | 6 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2/6 | 1/3 | 1/1 |
| Total | 107 | 52 | 34 | 9 | 4 | 14 | 42/86(49%) | 9/28(32%) | 14/19(74%) |
San Antonio, TX. - The Utah Jazz made sure their first playoff appearance since 2022 ended in spectacular fashion, storming back from a 15-point third-quarter deficit to steal Game 1 from the San Antonio Spurs.
Despite facing a 10-point halftime hole that ballooned midway through the third quarter, the Jazz battled back relentlessly. The turning point came when De'Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama went to the bench with just over five minutes remaining in the third—at a moment when San Antonio held a commanding 15-point lead and Utah was struggling to hit open looks.
That's when Keyonte George and Ace Bailey sparked a 15-2 run to close the quarter, trimming the deficit to just two points heading into the fourth. The teams then exchanged hard-fought buckets and defensive stops before Bailey drilled a three-pointer with 25 seconds left to take the lead.
Fox had one final opportunity to tie the game and force overtime, but Anthony Black's suffocating defense forced the point guard into an off-balance leaner that rattled off the front rim.
Bailey, who scored 40 points in his playoff debut, finished 4-for-13 from three—but made sure his final attempt was the one that mattered most.
"I wanted to come out here, soak in the moment, and give the fans back in Utah something to celebrate," Bailey said after the game. "My shooting wasn't great for most of the night, but the only way to make shots is to keep shooting. Some go in, some don't. I'm just glad I made the one that mattered."
It's the kind of resilience that separates good players from great ones—the ability to stay confident despite struggling and deliver when the game is on the line.
Victor Wembanyama put up 27 points and 17 rebounds to help the Spurs build their substantial lead, but managed only 4 points in the fourth quarter as San Antonio's offense stalled down the stretch. De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper tried to keep the Spurs afloat, but couldn't generate enough offense to overcome Utah's defensive intensity in the final minutes.
The Jazz's depth and second-half adjustments ultimately proved to be the difference in a thrilling opening contest that suggests this series could be far more competitive than preseason predictions indicated.
Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday in San Antonio.
even on the PNR, Wemby is so long it takes any entry pass away. most of his production comes with Wemby on the bench, or Bam at the 4.