‘A lot of great stuff’: Former Gonzaga wing Julian Strawther scores 25 in summer league finale

Julian Strawther had another 20-point outing at the NBA Summer League, demonstrating exquisite timing along the way.

While his father, Lee, was being interviewed on NBA TV in the fourth quarter, Strawther buried his fifth 3-pointer Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

“I have to say his experience at Gonzaga really helped prepare him for this,” said Lee, just as Strawther’s corner 3 settled into the net. “Very similar styles of play, play for each other and play the right way.”

Strawther scored a team-high 25 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had a clutch defensive play in the closing seconds as Denver closed its summer session with an 89-86 win over the New York Knicks.

The 6-foot-7 Strawther scored 69 points and connected on 12 3-pointers in Denver’s last three games.

“Some games he hasn’t shot it that well, but I’ve been really surprised by the way he’s mixed it up, how he gets to the basket, how he draws fouls,” Denver general manager Calvin Booth told NBA TV. “He competes more defensively than I expected. A lot of great stuff.”

The Nuggets saw a 21-point lead evaporate, but they held off New York with a couple of late defensive stands. With Denver leading by one point, Strawther contested QJ Peterson’s shot near the rim without fouling with 15 seconds left.

After a Denver free throw, Peterson, who led the Knicks with 25 points, misfired on a 3-pointer and Strawther pulled down the rebound while being fouled. He made one of two at the line and Peterson’s 3 at the buzzer rimmed out.

Strawther made two 3-pointers and scored eight points as Denver took control in the first quarter. He returned in the second quarter and promptly hit another 3 and added a soft bank shot after driving down the right side of the lane.

He reached the 20-point mark with a mid-range jumper late in the third quarter.

“As the week went on we kind of found ourselves and we were able to find each other, play more together,” Strawther said in a television interview following the first period. “I’ve gotten to learn so much (during summer league).”

Strawther made 8 of 16 shots, including 5 of 11 from distance. He had two assists and one block in 32 minutes.

Drew Timme didn’t play in Milwaukee’s 92-84 loss to Sacramento. Gonzaga’s three-time All-American logged 37 minutes in four summer league games.

He averaged 4.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists. He finished 7 of 15 from the field, including 1 of 3 on 3-pointers, and 2 of 4 at the foul line. Timme averaged 31.5 minutes and 13.7 shots per game last season as a senior at Gonzaga.

Milwaukee signed Timme to an Exhibit 10 deal shortly after the draft in June. Exhibit 10 contracts are for the league minimum and they’re not guaranteed, but the team has the option to convert it to a two-way contract prior to the season. Teams are allowed three two-way contracts.

Angelo Allegri didn’t play in Charlotte’s 0-4 start in summer league, but the former Eastern Washington forward was ready when his opportunity came in the Hornets’ final game.

The 6-foot-7 Allegri, a first-team All-Big Sky Conference selection last season after averaging 13.5 points and drilling 73 3-pointers, contributed nine points, three rebounds and two assists in 15 minutes off the bench in Charlotte’s 109-92 victory over Minnesota.

Allegri made 3 of 6 3-point attempts as the Hornets scored a summer-league high 109 points – their previous high was 93 – and finished with 34 assists. Allegri signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Charlotte.

Former Zag guard Joel Ayayi, who didn’t play in the Grizzlies’ blowout win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, had a nice stretch Saturday versus Phoenix. He had two 3-pointers, two assists and one rebound in nine first-half minutes.

He finished with nine points, a team-high three made 3s and three assists in 21 minutes in the Grizzlies’ 102-79 loss.