Julian Strawther scores 15 in NBA Summer League debut for Nuggets

Strawther drained three 3-pointers and showed off his trademark floater

The Denver Nuggets' top draft prospect looked the part in his Summer League debut on Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Julian Strawther, the 29th overall pick in last month's draft, poured in 15 points in Denver's 92-85 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. 

The former Gonzaga men's basketball wing shot 4-for-11 from the field and 3-for-9 from deep, while also registering two steals and a rebound in 26 minutes of action.  

Strawther’s first bucket came on a floater from just outside the paint to give the Nuggets a 6-4 lead early in the first quarter. It was the only 2-point field goal made by Strawther, who did most of his damage from beyond the arc and at the free-throw line.

While the Nuggets were in front for most of the game, the Bucks went on a 16-0 run late in the third quarter to pull ahead 69-61. Drew Timme, Strawther's former teammate at Gonzaga, finished a short floater during Milwaukee's unanswered scoring surge. 

Timme finished with seven points on 3 of 4 shooting from the field, including a 3-pointer he made in the second quarter. 

The Bucks led for the entire fourth quarter, despite the Nuggets making it a one-possession game on several occasions. 

One of those opportunities came after Strawther nailed a 3-pointer with four minutes left to cut Denver's deficit to 81-78. The Nuggets failed to score for the next two minutes as Milwaukee extended its lead and eventually secured the win. 

Strawther and the Nuggets return to action on Sunday at 6:30 PST against the Atlanta Hawks at Cox Pavilion.