Tyler Kolek records 0 turnovers as sloppy Knicks blow 18-point lead in loss to Nets

Here’s something you’ll see in Summer League that you’re unlikely to see in the upcoming NBA season: a Nets victory over the Knicks.

The Knicks dropped their second straight Las Vegas Summer League game, this time blowing an 18-point first-half lead in a 92-85 loss to their cross-bridge rival on Tuesday afternoon.

They have fallen to 0-2 after Saturday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets and now have two more games left: Wed., July 17 against the Sacramento Kings, then Fri., July 19 against the Detroit Pistons.

The Knicks got off to a hot start on Tuesday but turned the ball over 20 times and could not recover after the Nets surged back into the game both at the end of the second half and the top of the third quarter, using intensity and timely three-point shooting to ultimately take their first lead of the game on a Jacob Gilyard three at the 7:12 mark of the fourth quarter.

Summer League is, of course, just that — the summer league — and many of the players trotting up and down the Las Vegas courts during the offseason will fail to make an NBA roster when the season starts in October.

The Knicks have a number of players participating in Summer League they hope can develop into contributors down the road for a team with a championship window wide-open.

Tyler Kolek

The 34th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Tyler Kolek, dished another seven assists after dishing the same number of dimes in the Summer League opener against the Charlotte Hornets. The Marquette product didn’t make his first field goal until the fourth quarter and finished with six points on 3-of-8 shooting from the field, missing all five of his attempts from downtown.

Miraculously, however, Kolek was the only Knicks player to log minutes without turning the ball over on Tuesday, a testament to the poise and control he exhibits as an option New York can use to initiate offense off the bench behind Jalen Brunson.

The Knicks’ backcourt is crowded now with Cameron Payne joining Brunson and Miles McBride, but Kolek may get an early shot at minutes, particularly if the Knicks plan to play McBride off the ball more as part of the second unit.

Dmytro Skapintsev

A stretch five, could it be?

Skapintsev not only brings a strong rebounding presence off the bench (he recorded nine boards in the loss to the Nets and seven in the loss to the Hornets) and touch around the rim, but he can also operate out of the mid-range, not to mention the Ukrainian seven-footer splashed a top-of-the-key three Tuesday afternoon.

Skapintsev finished with 19 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field. He also recorded two assists, three steals and a block in just 17 minutes off the bench.

The Knicks have been looking for another option as a backup center in the wake of Isaiah Hartenstein’s departure to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Skapintsev is not I-Hart, but he is a skilled seven-footer with range and touch, and he could be an option to add depth behind Mitchell Robinson next season.

Pacome Dadiet

The Knicks’ first-round selection in June’s NBA Draft at pick No. 25 is still searching for his footing. Dadiet shot 4 of 13 for 11 points in just under 29 minutes of play on Tuesday. He made back-to-back threes in the third quarter in an attempt to stifle Brooklyn’s comeback, but as the player who led the Knicks in shot attempts, the 18-year-old French product came up short on Tuesday.

His struggles are to be expected. And unlike the center position, the Knicks are well-equipped on the wings for a deep playoff run. Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby project to play the lion’s share of those minutes, and with Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart coming off the bench, the Knicks can focus on developing the 6-8 Dadiet into a two-way threat.

Duane Washington

Washington led the Knicks in scoring, again, with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, but his five turnovers also led the Knicks. New York turned the ball over four times in the opening five minutes, and Washington accounted for two of them, including the team’s first.

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