The Denver Nuggets snatched a 96-89 win over the Toronto Raptors in Las Vegas, wrapping up their Summer League trip even though they were already out of the running. With both draft picks, Trevon Brazile and Bryce Hopkins, sidelined, this game was all about giving some serious minutes to the “long shots” hoping to prove they belong on an NBA roster. It might not have been a basketball masterpiece, but the Nuggets’ deep bench dug deep to outlast the Raptors and close out their Vegas run with a W.
Rough Starts and Gritty Comebacks
Talk about a painful opening, man. The Nuggets offense took over a minute and a half to even get a shot off, racking up four turnovers and a couple of goaltends right out of the gate. Yikes. Thankfully, the Raptors looked just as ready for their Vegas exit, failing to truly punish Denver’s early struggles. Shoutout to Mark Sears and Erik Stevenson, who brought the aggression, and Jahm’ius Ramsey, who dropped a couple of crucial threes to keep things from completely falling apart. The teams traded buckets and threes, with Toronto mostly holding a slight lead. A new Denver lineup struggled big time as the first quarter closed, giving up an 8-0 run before T.J. Bamba finally hit a three to stop the bleeding. The Nuggets ended the first down 29-23.
The second quarter didn’t start much smoother; the bench group looked disjointed, but those long balls kept them in it. Once the starters returned, things started to click a little more, and Toronto went cold. Suddenly, the Nuggets were within two points halfway through the quarter. The Raptors had a clear height advantage, though, throwing down alley-oops and making it tough for Denver to complete the comeback. Still, the Nuggets kept chipping away, hitting more threes than Toronto and tying the game at 45 with under a minute left. Sears even got to the free-throw line, and Aziz Bandaogo threw down an alley-oop jam, sending us into the locker room deadlocked at 47-47. What a turnaround!
Second Half Surge and a Double-Digit Lead
Coming out of the break, Denver’s game plan was clear: threes and fouls. Coleman Hawkins absolutely showed out, nailing a deep three, then blocking a seven-footer, and following that up with a steal. It was awesome. Hawkins and Ramsey helped the Nuggets grab their first real lead, pushing it to nine points while drawing foul after foul from Toronto. The Raptors just couldn’t crack Denver’s zone defense, and the lead swelled into double digits! The Nuggets offense eventually cooled off a bit, but they held that lead right around ten points, all thanks to a couple more crucial threes.
It was the final game of their Summer League, but for those guys fighting for a spot, this win was huge. Getting to close out Vegas on a high note, especially after a performance like that from the deep bench, gives some of those long shots a serious highlight reel to take home.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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