Former Rutgers teammates Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey were hyped by fans as early NBA Rookie of the Year candidates after facing off in Friday night preseason action between the Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs.
Harper, the No. 2 selection of the 2025 draft, helped the Spurs claim a 134-130 overtime win over No. 5 pick Bailey and the Jazz.
The Spurs rookie started off his NBA preseason debut by making an immediate bucket.
Harper went on to prove his capability as a lead ball-handler while connecting with Luke Kornet and Victor Wembanyama for his first preseason assists.
He finished his exhibition debut having shot 4-for-6 from the field (1-for-3 from deep) while contributing nine points and three assists with no turnovers in 18 minutes on the court.
Bailey previously posted 25 points and six rebounds on Wednesday in his own preseason debut, an exhibition loss to the Houston Rockets.
He was once more a key contributor in his second preseason appearance as he led with Jazz with 39 minutes on the court.
Bailey finished the overtime loss having gone 8-for-13 from the field (2-for-5 from deep) while contributing 20 points, seven rebounds and two steals with two turnovers.
The Spurs wrap up the preseason next week with a home-and-home set against the Indiana Pacers, while the Jazz take on the Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers in their final exhibition games.
Both Harper and Bailey could make their respective regular-season NBA debuts on Wednesday, Oct. 22. The Jazz will tip off against the visiting Los Angeles Clippers that night at 9 p.m. ET, followed by the Spurs’ season opener against the host Dallas Mavericks at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Read the full article here
