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Houston’s Summer League squad faced the Denver Nuggets on Friday and came away with an impressive 97-86 victory. Second-round draft pick Bruce Thornton led the way for Houston, delivering a standout performance to help secure the win.
Following the game, Rockets Summer League head coach Will Dunn had high praise for the rookie, explaining just how valuable Thornton was throughout the game.
“I just looked at the box score after the game and I was like, man, I couldn't take him off the floor, I think he played 35 minutes, we got it back to back. So hopefully he's young enough, he's still feeling pretty good, feeling fresh. But no, he was amazing,” Dunn said.
“He was making all the right plays for us, especially in that second half, I think he was 7-7 from the free throw line, just made some huge, huge plays offensively for our group, and then defensively he was solid.”
Thornton’s performance was one for the record books. He set the franchise record for the most points scored by a Rockets rookie in a Summer League debut, finishing with a game-high 27 points, three rebounds, three assists, and a game-high three steals.
The rookie also logged a game-high 35 minutes while committing just one turnover despite serving as Houston’s primary ball handler. The former Ohio State standout shot 7-of-18 from the field, knocked down 3-of-8 attempts from beyond the arc, and converted all seven of his free throws.
Thornton will have another opportunity to build on his stellar start when the Rockets take on the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.
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