Julian Strawther scores 21, Nuggets remain winless in NBA Summer League

Strawther registered 21 points on 7 of 17 shooting

Julian Strawther is still trying to regain his usual shooting stroke, but that didn’t stop the Denver Nuggets guard from showcasing his scoring prowess on Wednesday.

Strawther scored a team-high 21 points in the Nuggets’ 96-91 loss to the Utah Jazz at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas.

The former Gonzaga men’s basketball wing shot 7-for-17 from the field, 3-for-11 from deep and 4-for-6 from the free-throw line in 33 minutes of action.

Strawther finished in the paint twice and connected on two 3-pointers for 10 first-half points on 4 of 8 shooting. Despite Strawther’s fast start, the Nuggets trailed by 20 points going into halftime.

Denver rallied back in the second half, cutting their deficit to seven points with 53 seconds remaining. Utah had already secured its victory when Strawther banked in a 29-foot 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded.

“He plays hard, he gets after it,” said Nuggets Summer League coach John Beckett of Strawther. “I know he’s not making shots right now, but that hasn’t affected his effort level out there. He’s still trying but not turning down shots. When he has an open 3, he’s still taking it and we want him to take it.”

Julian slams it down 💥 pic.twitter.com/ziklCTFPJf

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) July 13, 2023

Strawther has shot 13-for-41 from the field and 7-for-29 from 3-point range in three Summer League games after being drafted 29th overall in last month’s draft.

The Nuggets return to action at 5:30 p.m. PST on Friday against the Miami Heat at Cox Pavilion.