This time around, Denver couldn’t hold their own against the Atlanta Hawks. With their first loss of the NBA Summer League, the Nuggets fell to the Hawks 82-73 and landed themselves in a consolation game. Thursday was much different than these teams’ first game in Las Vegas; this time the Hawks got off to a strong start and didn’t let up until the final buzzer.
That’ll do it from Las Vegas tonight.#Nuggets 73 – Hawks 82.
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) July 17, 2015
The Nuggets summer league clutch player through three games, Emmanuel Mudiay didn’t have his normal showing in Thursday’s game, either. He had eight points, three rebounds and just one assist. Erick Green led the Nuggets with 17 points, while Ian Clark had 13 and Joffrey Lauvergne netted 12. Each of the starting five Hawks finished the game with double-digit points.
One of the determining factors in the game was accuracy of the threes. The Nuggets were 5-19 behind the arc while the Hawks were 30-15. The 24 turnovers by Denver only helped Atlanta to fast breakaways and easy points. Denver threw easy points out the window by missing 12 free throws. Lauvergne’s technical foul didn’t add to the overall atmosphere of the game. The Nuggets did tie the game in the fourth but it wasn’t enough to take the lead.
Their time in the summer league has not come to an end. The Nuggets will play in a consolation game on Friday. They will face the Washington Wizards after their loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. Despite the early exit, a lot of good has come out of the summer league. The young players have been able to showcase their skills while getting comfortable with the NBA pace of play.
Sabrina Naccarato, a Mile High Sports intern and MSU-Denver student, contributed to this report