Brazile's 32 points lead Nuggets past Thunder

Second-round draft pick Trevon Brazile scored a game-high 32 points, hitting six 3-pointers, to lead the Denver Nuggets to a thrilling 106-103 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in an NBA summer league matchup on Tuesday at the Pavilion in Las Vegas.

The Nuggets never trailed and built a lead as large as 13 points, but they had to hold off a late rally from the Thunder. Brazile, the No. 35 pick in the 2026 draft, was the catalyst, adding six rebounds to his explosive scoring performance. Fellow second-round selection Bryce Hopkins, the No. 49 pick, contributed 14 points and seven rebounds. Erik Stevenson added 12 points and seven boards.

Oklahoma City was led by its pair of first-round draft picks: Bennett Stirtz, the No. 16 selection, finished with 22 points and six assists, while Aday Mara, the No. 12 pick, posted 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Brooks Barnhizer recorded 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, and Payton Sandfort scored 19 points off the bench.

After Denver took a 95-83 lead on a 3-pointer by Brazile with 3:34 remaining, the Thunder mounted their comeback. A three-point play by Sandfort with 2:24 left cut the deficit to five. Oklahoma City kept chipping away, and a 3-pointer from Sandfort with 21 seconds on the clock made it a one-possession game. Following a layup by Denver's Hopkins with 13 seconds left, the Thunder had a final chance to tie, but Sandfort's 29-foot jumper at the buzzer was off the mark, allowing the Nuggets to escape with the win.

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