Utah Jazz First Basket Stats 2025-26: Who Scores First
Ace Bailey scored the Jazz’s first basket more than anyone in 2025-26: 13 times in 61 starts, or 21% of the games they started. Lauri Markkanen was next with 13. The Jazz made the game’s first field goal in 55% of their 82 games and won 57% of their opening tipoffs. Everything below is counted from the play-by-play of every 2025-26 game (1,225 regular season, 85 playoffs, 6 play-in).
Who scored the first basket for the Jazz in 2025-26
First basket for team is the first field goal by any UTA player; first basket of game is the game’s first field goal by anyone. Rates are per game started.
| Player | Starts | First basket for UTA | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ace Bailey | 61 | 13 | 21% | 8 | 13% |
| Lauri Markkanen | 42 | 13 | 31% | 8 | 19% |
| Keyonte George | 54 | 12 | 22% | 7 | 13% |
| Kyle Filipowski | 41 | 8 | 20% | 3 | 7% |
| Jusuf Nurkic | 36 | 7 | 19% | 5 | 14% |
| Cody Williams | 41 | 7 | 17% | 3 | 7% |
| Svi Mykhailiuk | 41 | 6 | 15% | 4 | 10% |
| Isaiah Collier | 19 | 5 | 26% | 2 | 11% |
| Brice Sensabaugh | 22 | 4 | 18% | 2 | 9% |
| Jaren Jackson Jr. | 3 | 3 | 100% | 2 | 67% |
| Walker Kessler | 5 | 1 | 20% | 1 | 20% |
| Elijah Harkless | 9 | 1 | 11% | 0 | 0% |
| Blake Hinson | 3 | 1 | 33% | 0 | 0% |
| Kennedy Chandler | 2 | 1 | 50% | 0 | 0% |
How often the Jazz scored first
| Split | Games | Scored first | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 82 | 45 | 55% |
| Home | 41 | 25 | 61% |
| Away | 41 | 20 | 49% |
| Regular season | 82 | 45 | 55% |
Opening tipoff
| Jumper | Tipoffs | Won | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jusuf Nurkic | 35 | 25 | 71% |
| Kyle Filipowski | 27 | 10 | 37% |
| Lauri Markkanen | 5 | 2 | 40% |
| Walker Kessler | 5 | 5 | 100% |
| Oscar Tshiebwe | 4 | 3 | 75% |
| Ace Bailey | 3 | 1 | 33% |
| Taylor Hendricks | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Andersson Garcia | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Team | 81 | 46 | 57% |
How the Jazz’s first baskets were scored
| Method | First baskets | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other 2-pointer (jumper, hook, tip) | 27 | 33% |
| Layup | 25 | 30% |
| 3-pointer | 21 | 26% |
| Dunk | 9 | 11% |
2024-25
| Player | Starts | First basket for UTA | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collin Sexton | 61 | 15 | 25% | 7 | 11% |
| Walker Kessler | 58 | 14 | 24% | 5 | 9% |
| Lauri Markkanen | 47 | 12 | 26% | 6 | 13% |
| Kyle Filipowski | 27 | 9 | 33% | 4 | 15% |
| John Collins | 31 | 6 | 19% | 1 | 3% |
| Keyonte George | 35 | 5 | 14% | 3 | 9% |
| Isaiah Collier | 46 | 4 | 9% | 3 | 7% |
| Jordan Clarkson | 9 | 4 | 44% | 2 | 22% |
Who scores the first basket most often for the Jazz?
Ace Bailey, with 13 of the Jazz’s first baskets in 2025-26 (21% of their 61 starts), ahead of Lauri Markkanen with 13.
How often do the Jazz score first?
The Jazz made the first field goal in 45 of 82 games in 2025-26 (55%): 61% at home and 49% on the road.
Who takes the opening tipoff for the Jazz?
Jusuf Nurkic took 35 of the Jazz’s 81 opening tips in 2025-26 and won 71% of them.
Is Ace Bailey a good first basket bet?
That depends on the price. A player who scores first for their team in 21% of starts is worth a bet only when a book prices them below that, after adjusting for tonight’s lineup and opponent. Our models make that comparison every 30 minutes for every NBA game; see NBA first basket picks.
Source: NBA play-by-play and box scores, 2025-26. Updated October 13, 2026. See the NBA first basket leaders for every team, or all stats.