Summer League struggles continue for Denver Nuggets in loss to Charlotte Hornets

The shorthanded summer Nuggets are still looking for their first win in Las Vegas.

Denver’s Summer League squad, which lost first-round draft pick DaRon Holmes II in the second of Friday’s debut, lost to the Hornets 80-66 on Tuesday afternoon. Two-way player PJ Hall also got the afternoon off, and the Nuggets missed their presence inside.

Charlotte finished with 18 offensive rebounds and turned that into an 18-6 advantage in second-chance points. The Hornets also had a 30-12 edge in points in the paint and points off turnover tilted in their favor, 17-8.

What went right: The Nuggets played it safe with Julian Strawther, who graduated from Summer League after scoring 25 and 32 points, respectively, in Denver’s first two games in Las Vegas.

With Strawther watching from the sideline, Trey Alexander took on a larger role and finished with 18 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field. He made two of his four 3-point attempts and sank all six of his free throws. He added eight rebounds and an assist in 30 minutes of playing time.

What went wrong: It was another inefficient night from the 2023 second-round picks. Hunter Tyson wound up leading the Nuggets with 20 points but made just five of his 18 shots. A 4-for-10 mark from 3 was the bright spot in his game. Jalen Pickett needed nine shots to score eight points and added three rebounds and three assists.

Highlight of the night: There was a cool moment for Walter Ellis even as the game was getting away from the Nuggets in the second half. The son of former Nuggets forward LaPhonso Ellis sank his first three in the second half.

Up next: The Nuggets face Indiana in their fourth game of Summer League at 2:30 p.m. Thursday. ESPN2 and Altitude have the broadcast from Las Vegas.