The Knicks won their first game of the Las Vegas Summer League Tuesday night with a 97-93 victory over their crosstown rival, the Brooklyn Nets.
Here are some takeaways…
– Tyler Kolek shook off two stinkers to put up 25 points, four assists and four steals on 5-for-12 shooting from three, most of which came in an electric first half. MarJon Beauchamp added 25 points on 7-for-17 shooting via a plethora of aggressive takes.
The rest of the squad played supporting roles as Kevin McCullar Jr. and Pacome Dadiet were sidelined.
– Drew Timme led the way for Brooklyn with 24 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Caleb Daniels chipped in 16 points and nine rebounds and Quincy Olivari scored 16 as well.
– The Knicks were much more competitive out of the gate in this one. It helped that Kolek found his touch immediately with a couple threes, an in-between pull-up and flashy euro in transition in the early going, finishing with 14 points, two assists, three steals and no turnovers in the first quarter.
– With first-round pick Egor Demin out, fellow rookie point guard Ben Saraf looked to take advantage with seven points and two steals in the opening frame; however, New York rode maybe their best offensive quarter in Vegas to a 24-21 lead.
– Kolek continued his tear, whipping cross-court passes around and controlling the offense — he hit three more threes, a pull-up jumper and another catch-and-fire from deep on the wing. Ariel Hukporti commanded the defense on the other end, recording a block and showing off his touch with a little euro in the lane.
The Knicks led 41-39 going into halftime behind Kolek’s 23 points.
– Beauchamp made an impact to kick off the third, hitting an open three, floater and jumping the passing lane for a steal into free throws, finishing with nine points in the period. The Nets remained competitive despite their poor shooting thanks to a big effort on the offensive glass.
– New York desperately wanted its first Summer League win, though, going on a 14-2 run late in the quarter. A Beauchamp to Scuka alley-oop capped a big quarter as the Knicks led 69-60 going into the fourth.
– Even when Kolek cooled off, the Knicks offense persisted. Mohamed Diawara made a hard drive and dumped it off to Nnaji for an and-one, while Beauchamp made more plays inside. Brooklyn managed to get the lead within single digits in the closing minutes, but New York secured the win with strong defense and free-throw shooting.
Highlights
Tyler Kolek for three! pic.twitter.com/gWlRxZwHsR
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) July 15, 2025
14 first-quarter points for Tyler Kolek ♨️ pic.twitter.com/kcPnuYD0JF
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) July 15, 2025
What's next
The Knicks close out Summer League action with a Thursday afternoon matchup with the Pacers at 4:30 p.m.
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