The Denver Nuggets didn’t exactly own this game from the opening tip, but they made sure there wasn’t much left to argue about by the time the fourth quarter rolled around.
Denver notched a 28-10 final frame, turning a competitive Summer League matchup into a comfortable 101-82 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. There were eight lead changes along the way. Then, the Nuggets found another gear, and Minnesota never came close to matching it.
KJ Simpson led the charge with 19 points, four rebounds and four assists, looking comfortable when the game started to speed up. He was simply hard to beat. By the time the Timberwolves had an answer, Denver was already on its next possession.
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Second-round pick Bryce Hopkins continued to make a solid impression with 16 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Erik Stevenson chipped in 18 points while adding three rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals. Denver shot 44.7 percent from the floor and knocked down 37.5 percent of its 3-point attempts, but the bigger story was on the other end. The Nuggets held Minnesota to 35.5 percent shooting and just 25 percent from deep while forcing 16 turnovers.
The Timberwolves had their moments before everything unraveled late. Zyon Pullin had a game-high 24 points to go with five rebounds and three assists, doing his best to keep Minnesota within striking distance. Donovan Williams added 16 points, while Nate Santos supplied 14 off the bench.
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Both teams split their first two Summer League games and will be right back at it. Minnesota faces Portland on Monday, while Denver gets Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Summer League schedules don’t leave much time to think on a loss, or enjoy a win for that matter.
