Tyler Kolek converted a difficult and-1 attempt and produced his best outing of the NBA Summer League on Wednesday to send the New York Knicks to a win over the Sacramento Kings.
Kolek recorded a team-high 21 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals in the 106-105 victory at the Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. He finished by shooting 6-of-14 from the field, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range, in 32 minutes.
The 34th pick got the ball coming out of a timeout in the closing seconds down by two points. He got a layup to fall through contact with 2.4 seconds left and hit the ensuing free throw to send the Knicks to their first win in three chances in the desert.
TYLER KOLEK AND-1 FOR THE WIN đź—˝@nyknicks x #NBA2KSummerLeague pic.twitter.com/aslQiJoy2g
— NBA (@NBA) July 17, 2024
Kolek led the team on the court and was in great control of the offense throughout the contest. He emerged as one of the top point guards in the country this past season at Marquette and has shown that ability in a small sample size with the Knicks.
The 23-year-old has dished out at least seven assists in each appearance this summer, while only committing four turnovers, which all came on Wednesday. He has brought great playmaking to the court and looked like a veteran on the court.
Kolek was considered by many to be a first-round pick this year, so the Knicks may have gotten a bit of a steal to get him early on the second day of the draft. He has performed to expectations and is emerging as one of the top first-year players in the early going.
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