Denver Nuggets close Summer League with consecutive wins thanks to Trey Alexander's late takeover

It took some clutch offense from Trey Alexander for the Nuggets to avoid a collapse in their Summer League finale, a 91-82 win over the Pelicans on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Denver saw an early 23-point lead dissolve in the final minutes. Then, Alexander scored or assisted 10 of Denver’s final 16 points. The rookie finished with 19 points, making 8 of his 10 shots from the field and all three of his 3-pointers. He added seven rebounds, three assists, one steal and a block in 29 minutes. The former Creighton standout averaged more than 17 points, five rebounds and two assists over five Summer League games.

What went right: A dominant start on both ends put Denver up 29-8 after the first quarter. Jahmir Young led Denver with 21 points, while Hunter Tyson and PJ Hall each added 13.

Elsewhere, the Jazz officially waived Russell Westbrook earlier Saturday, clearing the way for the veteran point guard to join Denver once he clears waivers in the next couple of days.

What went wrong: After the strong first quarter, the Nuggets got outscored 26-12 in the second, giving New Orleans some hope at halftime. Jalen Pickett missed the game due to left groin soreness. It started to bother the second-year guard during Thursday’s game, and the team opted for a cautious approach.

The Nuggets looked outside the Summer League roster for the third and final two-way contract. Spencer Jones, a 6-foot-7 shooter who played collegiately at Stanford, reportedly agreed to join the Nuggets on their final two-way contract on Friday night.

Highlight of the night: A couple of former Clemson teammates teamed up for a nice bucket just before halftime. Hunter Tyson jumped to pick off a pass. Upon landing, he found PJ Hall with a lob pass that led to an easy layup in the final minute of the second quarter.

Up next: Denver finished Summer League 2-3, and most members of the team will go their separate ways to continue their careers.