The Denver Nuggets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 101-82 in Las Vegas on Saturday to even their Summer League record at 1-1, and the difference from Friday’s opener was ball security. Denver committed 22 turnovers in the loss to Houston; against Minnesota the number was 12, and the offense looked like a different operation because of it — 38-of-85 from the floor, 12-of-32 from three, and 18 assists spread across nine players who scored.
KJ Simpson led Denver with 19 points on 6-of-15 shooting, hitting 3-of-8 from deep and adding four assists in 29 minutes. Erik Stevenson gave the game its cleanest shooting line, 18 points on 7-of-13 with four threes, and Bryce Hopkins followed his 24-point opener with 16 points and seven rebounds. The most efficient stretch of the night belonged to Osayi Osifo, who scored 13 points on a perfect 5-of-5 in just seven minutes off the bench, including a pair of dunks that woke up the building.
The game turned twice. Denver opened with a 26-13 first quarter, let Minnesota back in with a 33-point Timberwolves third, then closed the door with a 28-10 fourth. Minnesota’s offense outside of Zyon Pullin — who scored a game-high 24 on 8-of-16 — never found a second source. Isaiah Evans, the rookie wing Minnesota acquired in the LaMelo Ball trade, had a night to forget: 4 points on 2-of-15 shooting, 0-of-9 from three. Nate Santos added 14 on 4-of-6 from deep off the Wolves’ bench.
Two games in, Denver’s Summer League roster has produced three legitimate scoring options in Hopkins, Simpson and Stevenson, and the turnover cleanup suggests the group was coachable between games. Both teams sit at 1-1 in the Las Vegas standings.
For fantasy purposes, Simpson is the name worth tracking. Back-to-back competent floor games at point guard matter more for his roster standing than the box-score totals, and Denver’s guard depth behind the starters is thin enough that a strong July can translate to real rotation minutes. Hopkins and Stevenson are dynasty deep-league watch names only, and Evans’ shooting struggles are a two-game blip, not a verdict — leave his dynasty stock alone.
