Knicks vs Nets Summer League Battle Set to Kickoff

A pair of old friends are getting together in Las Vegas: the New York Knicks’ Vegas vacation continues on Tuesday late afternoon as they’ll face the Brooklyn Nets in part two of five prospect showcases in Sin City.

The young Knicks return to the floor after a spirited second half effort on Saturday, one where a comeback against the Charlotte Hornets’ prospects fell just short. New York trailed for nearly the entire game but things still came down to one final possession, which saw Jacob Toppin’s would-be equalizer fall short en route to a 94-90 final. New York’s Duane Washington Jr. led all scorers with 26 points while Toppin had 19 points and six rebounds in defeat.

The Nets have had an eventful pair of Summer League games so far, splitting the first half of their scheduled four. Brooklyn’s babies overcame a 15-point deficit to top the Indiana Pacers on Friday but fell to the Los Angeles Clippers by an 87-78 final two days later.

New York and Brooklyn previously did battle in last year’s Summer League staging, Charlie Brown Jr. had 16 points while returning center Dmytro Skapintsev scored 12 with four rebounds but the Nets ran away with a 98-80 triumph.

What: New York Knicks (0-1) vs. Brooklyn Nets (1-1) (Las Vegas Summer League)

Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV

When/Watch: Tuesday, 4:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV/ESPN+

Who’s Favored: BKN -2.5

Keep An Eye On: Tyler Kolek

It’s obvious the Knicks have plans for Kolek, considering that they deemed in necessary to send a pick package to Portland for the right to obtain the Marquette alum’s services four slots before their regularly-scheduled selection. It’s nonetheless worth wondering if he’ll take the Knicks’ Monday signing of Cameron Payne personally: the former Philadelphia 76ers bolsters the Knicks’ bench scoring but also creates a bit of a logjam made all the more curious by the continued lack of interior depth. Kolek put up a serendipitous Saturday in his unofficial Knicks debut, keeping busy with seven points, assists, and rebounds each (at least sharing the team lead in each of the latter two categories).

Net to Watch: Keon Johnson

Johnson was briefly a Knick, as he donned a Manhattan-branded cap on draft night in 2021 before he was immediately dealt to the Clippers in a deal that acquired Quentin Grimes. The 21st overall pick from that draft could be fighting for his NBA future, as he’s coming off a tenuous two-way deal between Brooklyn and Long Island. Brooklyn’s presumed downfall hint at a major opportunity for him to showcase his talents on a rebuilding team, and so far he’s taking advantage of his opportunities in Las Vegas: through two games, Johnson is the Nets’ leading scorer (43 points) and rebounder (11, tied with former Knicks Summer Leaguer Jaylen Martin).

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