Hawks Grounded As Jazz Steal Game 1 of NBA Finals
May 27th, 2028 | State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA.
NBA Finals | Game 1 | Utah Jazz (0-0) @ Atlanta Hawks (0-0)
UTA | 24 | 30 | 31 | 28 | 113
ATL | 18 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 93
It wasn't another 50-burger, but Ace's 38 points was more than enough to sink the ice-cold Hawks to take Game 1 of the 2028 NBA Finals.
| Name | Points | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | FG | 3PT | FT |
| PG Anthony Black | 21 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9/17 | 1/6 | 2/3 |
| SG Cam Thomas | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1/4 | 0/2 | 1/2 |
| SF Ace Bailey | 38 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 16/24 | 4/7 | 2/2 |
| PF Robert Williams III | 8 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3/4 | 0/0 | 2/2 |
| C Bam Adebayo | 15 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6/13 | 1/2 | 2/5 |
| PG Keyonte George | 10 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4/13 | 1/6 | 1/2 |
| Total | 113 | 64 | 25 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 45/100(45%) | 9/30(30%) | 14/20(70%) |
| Name | Points | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | FG | 3PT | FT |
| PG Trae Young | 13 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4/22 | 3/17 | 2/2 |
| SG Dyson Daniels | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1/4 | 1/3 | 1/2 |
| SF Zaccharie Risacher | 17 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7/21 | 3/12 | 0/0 |
| PF Noa Kouakou-Heugue | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2/5 | 0/1 | 0/0 |
| C Kristaps Porzingis | 8 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4/9 | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| G Onyeka Okongqu | 14 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6/6 | 0/0 | 2/3 |
| Total | 93 | 49 | 26 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 42/92(45%) | 11/43(26%) | 8/10(80%) |
Atlanta, GA. - The 2028 NBA Finals opened in Atlanta on Saturday night, but for Trae Young, the ghosts of 2026 were eerily present.
In Game 6 of the 2026 Finals, Young shot 4/28 from the field and missed 15 three-pointers in an elimination-game loss to the Mavericks. Two years later, Game 1 of the Finals saw a similar storyline: Young went 4/22 from the field and 3/17 from three as the Utah Jazz methodically built a 10-point halftime lead that ballooned into a 20-point victory.
Trae Young acknowledged his struggles while maintaining his trademark confidence.
"I'm one of the best shooters in this league," Young said in the postgame press conference. "If I'm open, I'm taking it. I don't care if I miss ten straight—I've got the confidence to make the eleventh and get hot. That's who I am."
But Young also recognized the need for adjustment, particularly in attacking the basket rather than settling for three-pointers.
"I've got confidence in my ability, but we have to be smarter about our shot selection," Young said. "I need to get downhill more, attack the rim, and that'll open up everything else. It starts with me being aggressive."
He finished with a promise: "I'll be better for Game 2. Atlanta deserves that."
Hawks head coach Quin Snyder was more direct in his postgame assessment.
"We can't just launch threes and hope for the best," Snyder said flatly. "We need to initiate the offense, get into the paint, attack the basket. That's how we got here. We abandoned that tonight."
While Atlanta's star struggled, Utah's continued to shine.
Ace Bailey poured in 38 points on just 24 shots, a masterclass in efficiency despite his high usage rate. More importantly, he showcased the Jazz's depth and balance.
"Everyone sees the highlights and thinks I'm dropping 50 every night," Bailey said with a laugh. "Which, I mean, I have a few times. But AB's getting 20. Bam's got a double-double. Key's got a double. Dill and Luigi are hitting big buckets off the bench. It's a team game, and that's going to matter even more going forward."
Bailey's reference to the road ahead was ominous. The Jazz suffered two significant injuries in Game 1.
Cam Thomas came up clutching his hip after falling while driving in the second quarter and didn't return. Keyonte George, who had been playing through a strained hip since the first round, aggravated the injury late in the fourth quarter and left the game.
Mazzulla offered little clarity on either situation postgame.
"We're going to evaluate both guys," Mazzulla said. "There's no clear timetable on either one right now. We'll know more in the coming days."
George had downplayed his injury before the game, quipping: "It's the playoffs. If you're not hurting, you're not playing hard enough." He's not laughing now.
With Cam Thomas and Keyonte George potentially sidelined and Cameron Boozer still out from his earlier knee injury, the Jazz's depth will be tested significantly in Game 2.
The Jazz can celebrate Game 1, a convincing 20-point victory against the league's best team. But the injury report hanging over Salt Lake City threatens to dampen the momentum heading into Tuesday night's Game 2.
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