Trevon Brazile turned in the best game of his short pro career Monday night, scoring 32 points to help the Denver Nuggets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 106-103 in Las Vegas Summer League play.
The former Arkansas forward shot 11 of 19 from the field and knocked down six of 12 shots from deep. He also grabbed six rebounds in the win.
Monday’s outing was just Brazile’s second Summer League appearance. He missed Saturday’s game with a shoulder injury but showed no signs of it once he stepped on the floor.
The 32-point night topped his college career high of 28 points, a mark he set last season in a 105-85 Arkansas win over Texas on March 4.
Brazile made sure the Nuggets felt his presence early. He scored 19 points in the first half alone, connecting on five three-pointers before intermission.
The last one came from halfcourt with 0.6 seconds on the clock, banking in to close the half and give Denver a 60-51 lead.
Second half surge seals the win
Denver’s offense stalled to open the third quarter until Brazile got going again. He tipped in a missed shot from a teammate, then finished a tough layup through contact on the next possession.
Those baskets were the first points Denver scored in the second half.
The Nuggets needed his scoring again late. With Denver clinging to a lead in the fourth quarter, Brazile drove past Thunder center Aday Mara for an easy layup that made it 92-81.
On the very next trip down the floor, he hit a pick-and-pop three to push the margin to 95-83. Oklahoma City rallied late but ran out of time as Denver held on for the three-point win.
Brazile spoke about his fit with the organization after the game.
“I know I can fit in this league really nice,” Brazile said. “This is the perfect team for me to go to. The whole time I was saying, ‘fit over pick’ for the draft, and I think I went to the perfect place.”
He wasn’t the only former Razorback putting up big numbers Monday.
Meleek Thomas scored 35 points in his own Summer League game, falling just seven points short of the all-time Las Vegas Summer League scoring record.
It marked the second time this summer Thomas has cleared 30 points.
Between Brazile and Thomas, former Arkansas players own three of the seven 30-point games recorded in Las Vegas Summer League play so far.
Denver improved to 2-1 in Summer League and will play again Thursday against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. on Prime Video.
Key takeaways
- Trevon Brazile scored a career-high 32 points on 11 of 19 shooting to lead Denver past Oklahoma City 106-103.
- Brazile drilled five three-pointers in the first half alone, including a halfcourt buzzer-beater to end the second quarter.
- Fellow former Razorback Meleek Thomas also topped 30 points Monday, giving Arkansas alums three 30-point games in Las Vegas this summer.
