Holmes delivers strong performance in return to NBA Summer League

“It felt great,” Holmes told reporters in Las Vegas, Nev., after the game. “It sucks that we lost like that. I’m kind of hard on myself. I felt like I could’ve done better, but I’ve got to look at the blessings. I didn’t get injured in this game. That’s a positive.”

Holmes, a first-round pick in the 2024 draft, scored 11 points in his Summer League debut last year but suffered the injury with just over four minutes remaining on the same court at the Cox Pavilion, where the Nuggets played their Summer League opener Thursday.

Holmes missed what would have been his rookie season but told reporters last weekend he was 100 percent healthy entering his second appearance in the Summer League.

Against the Bucks, Holmes made 6 of 9 field goals, including 3 of 5 3-pointers. He added four rebounds, a block and an assist in 24 minutes.

Holmes said he had jitters early in the game.

“At first,” Holmes said, “I’m like, ‘Man, this is crazy. So much is going on. This is the NBA.’ Then you get used to it, and then you just get a little comfortable with the flow and figure out what you need to do.”

The Nuggets’ Summer League coach, Andrew Munson, said he wanted Holmes to be aggressive. Holmes thought he did a good job of that while playing within the system.

“When I’m playing with the guys on the roster, like during the year, I want to play the right way,” Holmes said. “Coach Munson preaches that. Finding good shots for me and also creating good shots for my teammates and playing hard defense, if I can do those things, I think we’ll do well.”

Holmes has plenty of company in regard to players across the league trying to come back from Achilles tendon tears. There was a wave of injuries over the last year, affecting stars such as Jayson Tatum, of the Boston Cetlics, and Tyrese Haliburton, of the Indiana Pacers, among others.

“You’ve just just got to take things one day at a time,” Holmes said. “It sucks. It could happen to anybody. But like coach told me, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so you’ve got to take things step by step, go out there with confidence, play hard and don’t worry about it too much. If you think about it, then something could happen. But if you’re not thinking about it, you’re good.”

In other NBA Summer League action Thursday:

• Former Dayton guard Jalen Crutcher made 2 of 5 3-pointers and scored six points in 18 minutes for the Orlando Magic in a 84-81 loss to the Sacramento Kings. Former Dayton forward Nate Santos had four rebounds in 10 minutes for the Magic. He missed his only two field-goal attempts.