Denver Nuggets guard Markus Howard earned his first start on Friday and the undrafted rookie produced yet another career game to help his team to a win on the road over the Detroit Pistons.
With Nuggets rookie Facundo Campazzo resting, Howard started and tied a team-high with 20 points to go along with three rebounds, two assists and one blocked shot in 34 minutes of work in the 104-91 victory.
He finished by shooting 9-of-14 from the field.
“Obviously, that’s three games in a row that Markus has gone out and created a new career-high and, tonight, he did it in his first NBA start,” Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said. “(He) is such a quality young man, one of the more respectful players I’ve ever been around. I just congratulated him and he said, ‘Coach, thank you for the opportunity.’ I’m really, really happy for him.”
After playing sparingly this season, Howard has played a larger role with the Nuggets with the season winding down.
On May 8, Howard set a new career-high with 13 points in a loss to the Brooklyn Nets. He followed that performance up with 15 points in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday before topping that mark against the Pistons.
Malone detailed one reason why Howard has been so effective.
“In the last couple of games, you can see how he led the country in scoring last year at Marquette,” Malone said. “His ability to shoot the ball, he is always in a constant motion, he is never standing still; he is a tough cover because of that. I thought he followed up his last performance against Minnesota with another really good effort tonight.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWd7n6bOVgY
The Nuggets have tried to rest a few players and limit minutes in the final week of the season. Howard has benefitted from that after playing a larger role with the team as of late and the 22-year-old has given his team a boost in the lineup.
Howard may not play a big role with the Nuggets during the postseason, but his recent run certainly has given him the confidence to help his team should his name be called in the near future.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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