Brockton native AJ Dybantsa opened his NBA career with 19 points Wednesday night, leading the Washington Wizards in scoring during a 121-111 loss to Cleveland. The No. 1 draft pick also set a Washington rookie debut scoring mark, according to NBC Boston.
The result gave the Massachusetts native an individual milestone in his first professional game, though it did not produce a Washington victory. Dybantsa finished as the Wizards’ leading scorer on a night when Cleveland won by 10 points.
His first points came almost immediately. On his opening NBA possession, Dybantsa took the ball near the top of the key and drove past Cleveland’s James Harden into the lane, NBC Boston reported. The play brought him to the free-throw line just 16 seconds into the game.
Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen fouled Dybantsa as the rookie appeared to be moving toward a dunk. Rather than beginning his career with a basket on that drive, Dybantsa started with two successful free throws. Those shots supplied the first two points of his 19-point debut.
A scoring milestone in his first game
NBC Boston reported that Dybantsa’s total was the highest by a Wizards rookie in a debut. That distinction accompanied another notable part of his opening performance: Washington’s newest No. 1 pick outscored each of his teammates in his first NBA appearance.
The two measures describe different parts of the night. His team-leading total placed him at the front of Washington’s offense for the game, while the rookie debut mark put his performance in the context of previous first appearances for the Wizards. Neither changed the outcome against Cleveland.
For a player arriving as the first selection in the draft, the opening possession offered an early look at how his professional career would begin. Dybantsa attacked the lane with the ball rather than taking a shot from outside, getting past Harden before Allen’s foul interrupted the play.
The sequence ended with Dybantsa converting both opportunities at the line. His final scoring total extended well beyond that initial trip, but the first possession supplied the opening points of both his NBA career and his debut performance.
A Brockton connection to the NBA
Dybantsa’s arrival gives the Washington debut a local connection in Massachusetts. The Brockton native entered his first NBA game with the distinction of having been selected No. 1, then finished it with a scoring milestone for his new team.
Wednesday’s game paired that individual achievement with a losing result. Washington scored 111 points, including Dybantsa’s team-high 19, but Cleveland’s 121 kept the rookie’s first appearance from ending in a win. For the Brockton native, the night nevertheless established a clear starting point: his first professional points, his first team scoring lead and a Wizards rookie debut record.
