Julian Strawther leads Nuggets to first NBA Summer League win

The former Gonzaga star scored 23 points and drained four 3-pointers

Julian Strawther was productive in every way except for 3-point shooting through the Denver Nuggets' first three games in the NBA Summer League. 

That changed on Friday when Strawther made 4 of 7 from beyond the arc, leading the Nuggets to a 112-81 victory over the Miami Heat at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas. 

The 29th overall pick in last month's draft finished with 23 points on 7 of 13 shooting from the field, six rebounds, four assists and one steal in 27 minutes. 

"I knew my shot would come around, unwavering confidence in that," Strawther said.

Strawther, who was 7 of 29 from 3-point range entering Friday, sunk his first triple from the right wing midway through the second quarter. He nailed another 3-pointer to end the first half with 14 points.

Strawther connected on two more 3-pointers in the third quarter, which saw Denver’s lead climb to 87-54. The Nuggets sat Strawther during the fourth quarter.

The 6-foot-7 wing was more than just a catch-and-shoot option, as he drove to the lane several times to finish floaters and layups over taller defenders. 

"I feel like it's something I've always had in my game, it's just something that's never asked of me," Strawther said. "At the end of the day, whatever role I'm given is the role I'm going to take."

The win was Denver's first of the Summer League after opening the event with three consecutive losses.  

The Nuggets will conclude their Summer League campaign against the New York Knicks Saturday at 5:30 p.m. PST. at the Thomas & Mack Center. 

Julian Strawther showing some really nice traits taking the ball up the floor here:

-runs out on the grab-and-go, then a nice quick decision to dish to Aamir Simms in the corner for 3

-then another great read on a little give-and-go w/ Simms for his own trey pic.twitter.com/eJFEDWvu7n

— Joel Rush (@JoelRushNBA) July 15, 2023