The Nuggets had the kind of Summer League night that coaches love: a fast start, a rough patch in the middle, and a strong finish that put the game away. Denver beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 101-82 in Game 2, and the final margin reflected how much better the Nuggets looked when they were organized, active, and willing to keep pressure on the rim.
KJ Simpson was at the center of it. After an uneven Game 1, he steadied Denver with 19 points on 15 shots, knocked down three triples, and added four assists.
More importantly, the offense looked like a different operation when he was running it. When he sat, Denver lost its shape.
When he was on the floor, the Nuggets had a real floor general.
Eric Stevenson gave Denver another scoring punch with 18 points, including four threes and a nifty dunk. Bryce Hopkins followed up his standout Game 1 with a different kind of performance: 16 points, seven rebounds, and two assists on 6-for-13 shooting.
The shot-making wasn’t quite as sharp, but the toughness and athleticism were still there. Osayu Osifo made his biggest imprint late, scoring 13 points and grabbing five rebounds in just seven fourth-quarter minutes while helping swing the game for good.
Denver opened the night with energy and got out to a 10-2 lead behind Simpson’s steal-and-score, a deep three from him, and a quick burst from Hopkins and Stevenson. Efe Abogidi even joined the action from outside, burying a surprising three and later finishing off a bounce pass from Simpson. The Nuggets led 26-13 after one, helped by a buzzer three from Minnesota that was waved off on review.
The second quarter got messy. Minnesota couldn’t buy a basket early, but the Timberwolves stayed alive by crashing the offensive glass and forcing Denver into sloppier possessions.
A 14-2 Minnesota run cut the lead to 35-31, and the Nuggets briefly looked flat-footed as the Wolves attacked the paint and pushed in transition. Simpson eventually stopped the slide with a three, Hopkins helped restore order with a pass to Simpson for another triple, and Matthew Murrell closed the half with a last-second three off Simpson’s assist to send Denver into the break up 52-39.
Minnesota kept hanging around after halftime. Hopkins absorbed contact on a rise-and-dunk attempt that didn’t draw a whistle, then answered with a paint pullup.
But the Wolves kept pressuring the rim, and Denver’s offense started to wobble when Simpson left the floor. Minnesota tied it at 65, with Zyon Pullin doing damage in the third quarter, and the Nuggets went to the fourth clinging to a 73-72 lead.
That’s where Osifo changed everything. He tipped in a miss, finished through contact, and then added another tip on a Hopkins miss as Denver pulled away.
Hopkins also flashed his burst with a strong spin finish and later hit a 12-foot stepback, while Stevenson kept the offense moving with another smooth make. Once Denver pushed the lead to 93-80, the game was effectively over, and the Nuggets coasted home.
Trevon Brazile did not play after reportedly suffering a shoulder strain in the first Summer League game. Enrique Freeman also had to leave in the first half after hitting his head on the hardwood and cutting his eyebrow open.
For Denver, the biggest takeaway was simple: Simpson matters. The offense had a pulse when he was steering it and lost it when he wasn’t. Osifo, meanwhile, looked like the kind of energetic big who can change a game in a hurry.
In Other News...
Nuggets May Be Forced To Revisit A Free Agent Fans Never Expected
The Nuggets have been busy shaping the back end of the roster, signing Alpha Diallo while also weighing what comes next with restricted free agents Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones. Even with those decisions still in motion, Denvers bigger concern remains the same: the team could use more guard depth and another steady ball-handler behind the main rotation.
Russell Westbrooks name is now back in the conversation because of that need, even after one season in Denver left a complicated ending. The Nuggets are looking at a thin backup-guard picture, and with Westbrook available again, the idea of revisiting a player few expected to circle back has become part of the discussion. [Read more 🡒]
Jokic Looks Ready But Nuggets Fans Still Have One Offseason Fear
Nikola Jokic has reportedly been in good shape this offseason, and that alone is enough to calm some nerves in Denver after a summer that has brought more subtraction than splash. The Nuggets have added Marvin Bagley III and Tyus Jones, but they also lost Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas, leaving the front office with a thinner margin for error as it tries to keep the roster competitive around its star center.
Denver has created cap space, yet the bigger concern for Nuggets fans is what has not happened so far. The team has been working on new deals for Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones, but the overall pace of the offseason has been quiet, and there still has not been a major move to strengthen the group for next season. [Read more 🡒]
Nikola Jokic Has Nuggets Fans Reading Into One New Offseason Look
Nikola Jokics offseason has once again taken him back to Serbia, where the Nuggets center has been spending time rafting with friends as he does most summers. The photos that surfaced from the trip caught attention for a different reason this time: Jokic looked leaner than he has in past offseasons, a small visual cue that has Denver fans already trying to read between the lines before training camp even gets here.
It comes at a time when the Nuggets have not dramatically reshaped the roster after their first-round playoff exit, even with additions like Marvin Bagley III and Tyus Jones and a few familiar veterans moving on. Jokic also spent part of last season dealing with a hyperextended left knee that cost him four weeks, so the slimmer look has naturally prompted some speculation that he may be approaching the year with a little extra attention on staying fresh. [Read more 🡒]